Happy Families
by CursedRedRose
Summary: Family AU. Yakov was content with his life. He had a great reputation as a coach and his four children were taking the skating world by storm. He thought everything was fine... until his eldest son Victor ran away with his Japanese boyfriend and his pet poodle. Now he has to go and drag him back... and the rest of the family have come with him. Victuuri
1. Chapter 1

_So I guess I'm now Yuri on Ice trash now... I really need to stop starting new fics but I couldn't resist this one. I just love the show and how sweet and beautiful it is. And who saw that last episode coming?! I didn't!_

 _Anyway just to make something clear, this is a family AU where the Russian team are all a family with Yakov as the head. To make the kids seem closer, I dropped a few of their ages. Yuri is still 15 and Mila is still 18 but now Georgi is 21 and Victor is 23. Just for continuity's sake, I also reduced Yuuri's age to 19. And I'm spelling his name that way so I don't get confused._

 _Please enjoy!_

Yakov sighed as he sat down, settling into his usual chair at the head of the table and enjoying the blissful feeling of taking the weight off his tired feet. He looked down at the steaming bowl of stew before him, thick with chunks of meat and vegetables that smelled deliciously savoury, and he closed his eyes for a second to enjoy the moment of peace. This is what he looked forwards to every day; a nice quiet meal with his family at the end of a long-

"Mila, could you please pass the salt?"

"Sure thing! Hey Yuri, stop squirming already!"

"I am not the salt! Put me down before I call Grandpa!"

"Why, Anya, why?"

Yakov groaned. He had clearly spoken too soon.

He opened his eyes and was confronted with chaos as he stared at his four children. Victor, his eldest, was bent over laughing as Mila, his only daughter, was attempting to lift Yuri, the smallest and youngest, above her head and chuck him over the table towards him. The teenage boy, however, was making it difficult by trying to claw her eyes out and flailing his arms and legs, nearly kicking down the ceiling light several times in his struggle to escape. Meanwhile, his second son Georgi wasn't paying any attention to the circus unfolding around him. Instead he was staring longingly at his phone screen, occasionally wiping away tears as he swiped a thumb across the glass and winced at every new image that appeared.

Yakov groaned again. So much for a quiet dinner.

"All of you, stop this right now!" He bellowed, using his strictest angriest tone and the four of them all froze in place. This was the voice he usually reserved for the rink and though he didn't like using it on his kids when they were at home and away from the ice, desperate times called for desperate measures. "Mila, unless you want to be moved to pairs skating put Yuri down this instant! For the last time, you cannot pick him up when people ask for the salt!"

"But Papa, he's just so salty…" Mila tried to protest but one cold look from her father made her close her mouth and look down. She carefully manoeuvred her brother back into his chair, ignoring him when he scowled angrily in her direction.

"Wait 'til Grandpa hears about this…"

"Please don't bother your grandfather with this," Yakov frowned at his son sternly. It was an established fact among the four that Yuri was their grandfather's favourite. When he visited, which was nearly all the time as they lived so close to him, Yuri would cling to his side like a baby monkey and they doubted an iron bar could separate the two. It was clear this feeling was returned as their grandpa doted on him, never missing one of his skating events and always making him his favourite pirozhkis for afterwards. He still seemed to believe that Yuri was the little boy he had been before puberty hit and, whilst he was around him, with everyone else in his family he was anything but. "He worries enough about you already though God knows why. And Georgi, get off that phone! I already told you they were banned from the dinner table!"

"But she's just posted a new picture!" Georgi pleaded, shoving the phone under his father's nose. From his angle, Yakov could only just see a snapshot of a pretty young woman with long brown hair and heavy red lipstick smacking a kiss on the cheek of some large buff man wearing sunglasses and no shirt. To him, it just looked like the usual picture kids these days put up on their Instagram things but from the look on Georgi's face, it could have been declaring the end of the world. "Can't you see? She's just mocking me now!"

Yakov sighed in despair as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Georgi, you really need to stop following her on these things. You're never going to move on otherwise."

"I don't want to move on!" Georgi declared passionately, holding his phone over his heart as he threw his other arm up to the heavens. In that pose, he looked like an actor about to launch into the hammiest performance of his life and he didn't disappoint. "I am Anya's true prince! It is only I who can protect her from the evils of this world! I curse all other men who try to lay their hands on her and I will save her from this plight!"

"She doesn't look like she's in a plight to me," Mila butted in, grinning as she got the ice dancer's profile up on her own phone. "And from that latest picture it doesn't look like it's the man laying his hands anywhere…"

"Alright, that's enough!" Yakov finally snapped. "Both of you put your phones away this instant! I don't want to hear any more about Georgi's ex-girlfriend, especially from you Georgi." He fixed him with a firm look and Georgi went quiet, slipping his phone into his pocket with a last longing look. "Mila, stop giggling, your brother's feelings are not a joke. Yuri, stop making barfing noises! You are fifteen, not five." He sat back in his chair, hoping that would be the last thing he would have to deal with, until he felt something soft brush against his leg. "And Victor, please stop feeling your damned dog under the table. We all know he's there."

"But Maccachin's hungry too!" Victor laughed, not even trying to be subtle as a fluffy brown head wriggled its way between his legs, resting on his lap in the perfect place to be fed from his master's fingers. Yakov could hear and feel the thumping of the poodle's tail as it happily wagged against his leg and his lips tightened but he didn't say a thing as he picked up his spoon. He really was too tired for this, plus the dog was Victor's; if he wanted to spoil it rotten and teach it bad manners that was his problem.

He glanced over at his eldest son, watching as he ruffled his dog's ears and laughed as his hands were licked to within an inch of their lives as Maccachin determinedly licked up every remaining trace of food. Yakov would never have admitted this but he had a large soft spot for Victor, not just because he was the first child he had adopted but he was also the most talented skater he had ever had the privilege of coaching.

He could still remember the day he had first seen him skate, the day his social worker had dragged him to the ice rink hoping skating would use up some of his excess energy. He'd only been nine years old, a little sliver of a child with wide blue eyes that sparked with curiosity and long silver hair that he had refused to cut so it flew past his shoulders in a wave of mercury silver. Yakov had watched him carefully when he had stepped on the ice, expecting to have to gently encourage him from the barriers but, to everyone's surprise, he had pushed himself away from any helping hands and skimmed across the ice like he was being welcomed home. Before long, he was spending every single day at the rink with Yakov, getting stronger and more skilled yet never losing that grace and ease he had on the ice. It was like the ice was his true domain and even when he was pushing his body to its limit, he still embraced it like an old friend. Two years after that fateful day he had entered and won his first junior skating competition and Yakov had stood there proudly, watching not just as his coach but as his recently-adopted father.

Now as he looked at him, he could hardly believe that the handsome young man who had already won two Grand Prix titles and insisted on buying a poodle to celebrate his last win was that same child. Back then he had been so thin he had reminded Yakov of a wisp of smoke. Now, fourteen years later, his frame had been broadened with hard-won muscle and the rest of him had also grown nicely. His hair, that had been long for so many years, was now cropped sort with a fringe over his left eye that bounced with his every movement. His shoulders were wide and strong and he was now so tall, he could rest his chin on the crown of his father's head. He had tried that the day he realised he was taller and almost gotten a nosebleed from how hard Yakov had bucked his head back in alarm. He had just laughed it off though, laughing in the same way he was now as Maccachin tried to stealthily sneak more food from his bowl. Victor was always laughing; the others always joked that if you couldn't hear him at any point in the day, something was wrong. Yakov still wondered sometimes how somebody who had spent the first nine years of their life in a Russian orphanage could have such a sunny demeanour but that was Victor- he was always full of surprises.

After adopting Victor and hearing some of the stories he had told him, the whispered accounts of the bullying he had experienced in the orphanage that had been muffled by Yakov's lap as he poured his heart out after a nightmare, Yakov had been spurred into inviting more kids down to the rink for lessons. It was during one particular lesson when Victor was twelve when he spotted one boy who was slightly ahead of the rest of his group. He had only been ten, with short black hair that naturally stuck up and a pointed face that then had been rounded slightly with childish chubbiness. He wasn't the best technical skater in the group but he was certainly the best storyteller. The emotions he showed in his movements, the pain he could reflect in every expression he made, were of a maturity far beyond his years and Yakov hadn't been able to stop watching him. He had found him after the lesson being circled by a group of older boys who had called him a sissy for getting into the skating. He had been crying, curled up into a ball against the wall with his gloves pressed to his ears to stop their taunting from reaching him. Yakov had chased them away with a quick bark, scaring them so much with his intimidating frown and loud voice that one of them had nearly wet themselves. The frightened boy had looked around at him, utterly terrified of being yelled at himself but Yakov had simply handed him a tissue and asked him one simple question.

"How would you like to come and ice skate every day from now on?"

After his first adoption of Victor, adopting Georgi hadn't taken long at all and soon he was competing in the junior championships alongside his new older brother. He too looked very different after many years of competitive skating; he had never been skinny like Victor but now his limbs flowed with muscle and although he was shorter than his older brother, his build was more powerful and his torso was thicker to show his strength. His face was still pointed with a thin nose and defined chin and his black hair was now in a sharp quiff but his pale blue eyes still held all the emotion they had as a child. Georgi had never been good at hiding his feelings, he had always worn them proudly on his sleeve. This had made him strong as a performer, he had always achieved high scores for his artistry, but it also made him vulnerable and this saga with Anya, his ex-girlfriend who had broken up with him a few weeks before, had made this painfully obvious. Yakov sighed. Time was a great healer, he knew, but damnit he wished it would hurry up already.

He then turned his attention to Mila, who was now eagerly trying to cheer up her brother by telling him stories of the worst guys she had ever dated. He could remember the day she had burst into the ice rink like a firework, a tiny blur of red hair, sapphire eyes and pink lip gloss who had marched right up to him and demanded to learn how to skate. When he had asked her why, he answer had almost broken his façade, making him want to laugh until his sides were sore.

"I got kicked out of dance lessons because one girl told me I was ugly so I kicked her into a mirror. My dance teacher told me I'd never be a lady and I'm going to prove her wrong! Teach me how to be a pretty lady!"

Yakov had taken up the challenge from the nine-year-old and even now, he wasn't sure how he had managed it. Mila had been an expert in pushing every button he had and stretching his patience beyond saintly levels but somehow, she had learned to use her fiery spirit and determination on the ice and had emerged as one of the most graceful skaters he had ever seen. It hadn't taken him long to add her to his growing brood and she had shot up the ranks in the world of women's skating. At 18, she ranked third among the best female skaters in the world and there was no doubt in his mind that she could one day be the first. She had grown from that stubborn little girl into a beautiful woman- she had needed no help from Yakov to become pretty. Her flame-red hair now framed her face in a bob cut and her blue eyes were almost enticing with their dark colour, promising to drive you wild if you let her. On the ice, she would move like a bird about to take flight and in those moments, it was like the world couldn't touch her. Off the ice, however, she was still a handful, her mouth was always running wild and she never lacked for any male attention. Yakov swore that out of all of his children, it was Mila who had given him the most grey hairs with her antics.

And then there was Yuri, the youngest and the baby of the family. Unlike his brothers and sister, Yuri was actually Yakov's biological son, born from his marriage to prima ballerina Lilia Baranovskaya. They had been married for several years but had split up when they realised they were spending more time on their careers than on their skating, him always at the rink and her always at the ballet studio. By the end of it, they had almost been strangers but they still shared their love for their only child, the little boy with the blond mop and tiny voice that almost sounded like a mewling kitten when he talked. He had only been two years old when his parents had divorced; Yakov had adopted Victor not long after the split. For the first few years of his life, Yuri had mainly lived with his mother, learning to dance almost from when he could walk as Lilia would take him to the studio with her every day so she could keep him out of trouble. Yakov had frequently visited him but at first the boy had been reluctant to know him, hiding behind the knees of either his mother or his doting grandfather who Lilia had often called in to babysit on the nights of important shows. Yakov could never understand how such a warm kind man had fathered such a cold ambitious woman and he had seen from the get go that his son had inherited a lot from his mother temperament wise.

He had resented the other children he had adopted at first, believing he had chosen them over him, and wouldn't even acknowledge them, snarling at them like a feral cat if they got too close and threatening to tear them apart if they so much as stepped towards his beloved grandpa. The amount of anger that had been stored inside that tiny body had been immense and it had all come shooting out one day when Yakov had taken him on a trip to see the rink. Yuri hadn't wanted to try at first, hurling the pair of little skates Yakov had presented him with on the floor but the moment he saw the other three on the ice and Yakov yelling praise over to them, he had pulled them onto his feet with the speed of lightning and bolted onto the ice, angrily crying out that one day he would be better than all of them. He had barely left the ice since.

Now, at fifteen, there was no animosity in his eyes as he stared around the table at his siblings, only a sense of exasperation as he muttered "Idiots" under his breath. Next year, he was going to enter his first championship in the men's senior division and he was more than ready for it. His early years doing ballet had put him in great shape for figure skating, giving him an almost gentle beauty that had a powerful strength behind it. He was still thin as a reed, his developing body packed with elegant muscle and his face was no longer rounded and innocent. With every year, Yakov could see more of Lilia in the strong cheekbones and firm features of his face, even though he had inherited neither her black hair nor her green eyes. He still saw his mother regularly even though he had moved in with his father two years previously to further his skating career. She had understood- she got better than anyone else the decisions you had to make to further your career. He still took her ballet classes and just because he was her son, she didn't go any easier on him. His eyes reflected her sheer iron will though they were a sky blue closer to Yakov's colour than his mother's and now his once unruly blond heap had been tamed into a sleek blond cut where the tips brushed his chin. One thing that had yet to be tamed was his anger; as a teenager, it had only gotten worse and Yakov was constantly having to remind him not to scream curses out in the middle of his programs. The boy wouldn't take any notice, he was practically confidence and snark on legs and Yakov was careful to use choreography that would show that off in its best light. He knew that one day Yuri could have the skating world on its knees in the way Victor did now, only he would be a lot less merciful.

"Will you just cut it out Mila?!" Yuri's harsh voice cut through Yakov's reminiscing and he had to shake his head a little to focus on whatever conversation had been going on before he zoned out. "I don't need to hear about every man whose had his tongue down your throat you hag!"

"Shut up!" Mila spat back, her cheeks pink as she quickly glanced over at her father. "Just because you've never had a girlfriend!"

"I don't want one! Girls are gross!" Yuri said disgustedly, screwing up his face and sticking out his tongue to make his point.

"Just wait Yuri…" Georgi added sadly, his voice sounding almost far-away. "One day my boy, you'll meet a girl and you won't be able to think around her… yet all your thoughts will be consumed by her and you'll long for her presence. That is the cruel tragedy of love."

"I'm not going to fall in love!" Yuri fiercely denied, looking ready to punch anybody who disagreed with him. "It's icky! I want to focus on becoming the best skater in the world, not some random woman!"

"There's no reason you can't have both Yurio," Victor interjected, taking a moment from fussing Maccachin to try and soothe his angry brother. "Who knows, you could even meet the love of your love on the ice. That may be what brings you together."

"Very true Victor, thank you." Yakov said, relieved somebody had said some sense and calmed the atmosphere at the table. It all seemed to quieten down until Yuri spoke again, determined to have the last word.

"Yuck, stop being so sappy Victor. And stop calling me Yurio, it's not my name already!"

"Yurio?" Yakov repeated, looking over at Victor who just flashed him an innocent smile. "Why are you now called Yurio?"

"Only Victor calls me that," Yuri huffed before Victor could even open his mouth to explain himself. "He only does it to distinguish me from the Japanese Yuuri. And it's stupid anyway! You've known me longer and I'm your brother, why do I get the stupid nickname and not him?!"

The Japanese Yuuri? It took a moment for Yakov to remember but when he did, he grimaced a little. A face had swum into his mind, a face with short black hair, round eyes the colour of chocolate that looked out shyly from behind a pair of blue-rimmed square glasses and a tentative smile that always flickered with nerves. Yes, he did remember this Yuuri. This Yuuri was an exchange student from Japan who lived in a dormitory with a group of Asian skaters not far from the rink. He had come to Russia almost a year ago, after losing in his first Grand Prix final to Victor. Yakov had watched him perform and he had to admit the nineteen-year-old had some potential, he had to have had talent to get that far in his first year, but something had gone wrong for him and he had flubbed his routines, ending up last out of the six finalists. He had looked close to distraught by the end and many were wondering whether it would put him off the sport for good. Yakov had been one of them; there weren't many who could pull off a comeback after that. He had been more surprised than anyone when he had appeared in Russia and started practising at his rink, along with a Thai skater he had recognised called Phichit Chulanot. Yakov had watched him for a bit but eventually dismissed him. The boy was definitely good and he could be great even but his nerves were holding him back far too much; the simplest thing could turn him into a walking bag of jelly and once that happened, there was no chance of getting a good routine out of him. Yakov had pondered how long it would take him to quit. He could do well in the national championships where there was less pressure but anything like a Grand Prix… Yakov had predicted when Yuuri had arrived that he would be gone within six months. However, that prediction had turned out to be very wrong and the reason behind it had been his eldest son.

He didn't know how, but for some reason Victor had made the Japanese Yuuri his rink mate. He had no clue how they had started speaking but one day Yuuri had turned up in the rink and Victor had welcomed him like he had always been there. The two had now become best friends and at the rink, it was rare to see one without the other. Victor had almost become the boy's coach, taking time from his own skating watching his routines and giving him feedback, giving demonstrations… He was way too familiar with the boy. Victor had always been rather hands-on but Yakov thought that with him, it was just too much; he spent half the time either leaning on Yuuri with his arm hanging languidly over his shoulder in a strange half-cuddle or his hands would be tenderly stroking his face like he was trying to imprint it to memory. Yakov hadn't liked it from the beginning and he certainly didn't like it a year down the line.

If that Japanese boy starts to distract him from his skating, I'll make Victor train far away from him, he thought before he looked over at Victor. The young man had a strange look on his face, one that he couldn't ever recall seeing before. He looked like he wanted to get something off his chest but he seemed too nervous to even speak. Victor? Nervous? He inwardly scoffed at the thought. Victor was many things but nervous had never been one of them.

"You remember Yuuri Katsudi, right Papa?" Victor asked him and suddenly the other three went quiet, curious at the new tone in Victor's voice. Yakov heard it too but he shrugged it away as he took a mouthful of soup.

"Yes of course I do," He said. "He's been hanging off you like a limpet since the last Grand Prix. Not a bad skater but he'll never make it far. I think he knows that and is trying to learn from you. Understandable, you are the best in the world right now but you really don't need a hanger-on at this point in your career."

"Yuuri isn't a hanger-on!" Victor exclaimed, caused all the others except Yuri to widen their eyes in shock. "He's a beautiful skater, he's got such great musicality and when he moves, it's like song…" A dreamy look came over his eyes and he paused in his speech before he quickly seemed to remember where he was and carried on. "And it's not just that, he's very dear to me as well. In fact, I was going to tell you…"

"That's always been your problem, you're far too soft-hearted," Yakov interrupted him. "That boy isn't a good influence on you. He's distracting you too much from your training. I don't like seeing you play coach to someone like that and I'd prefer it if you kept your distance from him."

He finished with a look that told them all the conversation was over, end of. Satisfied that he had made his point clear, Yakov once again dug into his stew, enjoying the quiet as his children also began to eat. He was so consumed in the eventual quiet it had taken him so long to win that he didn't see that Victor was eating slower than usual, his movements sluggish as he was deep in thought. He didn't catch how disappointed his eyes were as they stared down into the depths of his bowl and he didn't notice how Yuri kept shooting his older brother odd looks, like he was trying to send a message to him. Victor was quiet for the rest of the meal, not even attempting to intervene when Mila and Yuri started their next argument but this didn't concern Yakov. He's probably wondering how to tell that Yuuri Katsudi boy to back off nicely, he thought as they finished and he sent them off for an early night. He really can be too soft at times.

OOO

The following morning, Yakov was standing at the front door bright and early, waiting for his children to all get up. The sun had only just started to rise outside, flecking the ground with long lines of sunlight that ran away as soon as you tried to catch them. Yakov looked down at his watch and gave a loud grunt. This happened every single morning; he would wake up early, ready for morning practise and yet he would always be kept behind by his kids who dragged themselves away from their warm beds with all the energy of a zombie. They would groan as they forced themselves down the stairs, bleary-eyed and yawning as they moaned about him being a slave driver but he didn't pay them any attention. He knew after a few laps on the ice, they would be fully awake and raring to go. He just wished they could get out of bed like that; it would make his life so much easier.

"Wake up! Everybody downstairs now!" He bellowed up the stairs as he checked his watch again. They were already ten minutes behind where he wanted them to be and he was running out of patience fast. "Anybody keeping us waiting any longer will have to stay behind for extra practise tonight!"

That last threat seemed to do the trick as he heard two pairs of footsteps hastily making their way down the stairs. He smiled and nodded as Georgi and Mila suddenly came bolting down the stairs, Georgi's hair sticking out at random angles and Mila with only one leg warmer on. They looked over at him worriedly before giving a sigh of relief at his approving nod. The last time Yakov had given them extra practise they had barely had the energy to walk home and they weren't anxious to repeat the experience.

Yakov looked back up the stairs, expecting to hear more eager footsteps from his two other sons but he could only hear the sounds of Georgi and Mila's panting as they caught their breath from running like lightning to get downstairs. "Victor! Yuri! Downstairs now!" He barked. "Don't make me go up there!"

"Alright, alright." A voice grumbled as Yuri came into view, walking down the stairs with his shoulders hunched over and an almost disgusted look on his face. "No need to yell, I'm right here."

Yakov's eyes narrowed at his youngest as they fixed each other with identical looks of annoyance. "Less of the sass, young man," Yakov warned. "And where's your brother? I can't believe we always end up waiting for him."

Yuri scoffed. "I don't know. His room was pretty quiet when I passed it. I couldn't hear him snoring or anything."

That made Yakov and the other two fall silent. That was strange; Victor was never quiet, not even in his sleep. When they travelled to other countries for competitions, Victor's siblings would refuse to room with him because he was just so noisy. Unless… Yakov remembered his reserved behaviour from the night before and sighed. Does he just not want to face the Yuuri boy today?

He sighed. "I'll go get him up. You all wait here." He walked up the stairs with a feeling of resignation weighing down on his shoulders. Yes, it would be awkward for Victor to just cut off his friendship with the Japanese skater like that but it was really for the greater good; Victor couldn't let his career be damaged at any cost. He just had to make him see that.

"Victor?" He hesitantly rapped on his son's bedroom door, listening closely to catch any sounds from inside. "We're late for morning practise, you need to get up now… Victor?"

He slowly pushed the door open and the sight that met him made his jaw drop. Victor's usually immaculate room looked like a tornado had just stormed through it. Everything Victor owned was on the floor, clothes and medals strewn about in a great heap that had tumbled into every corner of the room. The curtains were wide open, letting the morning light spark from the touches of gold among the mess and all of his belongings looked broken now they had been knocked from their usual place. The only thing that still looked neat was the bed which had been cleanly made; it looked like nobody had slept there at all last night. There was no sign of Victor or of Maccachin and his regular clothes and the dog's items had disappeared. It was like the room had been abandoned.

For a long moment Yakov just stood there in shock, unable to take in the sight before him. He didn't even register when his other three children came up to see what was wrong, only to be also rendered speechless at the sight. Georgi went pale and Mila covered her mouth with her hand but Yuri only snorted and made one crude remark.

"So, he finally did it then. The idiot."

That sentence brought Yakov crashing back down to Earth as he clenched his fists and angrily growled one single word.

"VICTORRRRRRR!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again! Firstly, I'm sorry this took such a long time but I just finished my first semester at uni and then this chapter got so long... it's like 12000 words which I never thought I'd reach! I hope that makes up for the wait._

 _This chapter is full to bursting with Victuuri so please enjoy!_

Meanwhile, halfway across Russia, Victor was staring out of the window, admiring the snowy mountain terrain with a peaceful smile on his face. Around him, the train carriage rattled and groaned, sounding almost on the verge of giving up and collapsing around him but he didn't even register the loud clattering. His heart was too elated. He couldn't believe he had done this; it still felt like it was all sinking in. Everything around him, from the rickety empty carriage of the early morning train to the sunlight streaking over the snow outside, making it glow gold and pink in its welcoming colours, still didn't feel real. The only things telling him that it wasn't a dream and that he really was weighted to reality were the heavy feeling of Maccachin's sleeping body pinning his legs down and the soft snuffling sounds of the man resting his head on Victor's shoulder.

He smiled softly as the man sniffed and wriggled in closer, dragging his attention from the window as he gave a contented sigh in his sleep. Victor could feel his hair brushing the underside of his chin and he raised a hand to tenderly brush a couple of black strands away from his closed eyes. He looked so adorable in his sleep, his glasses askew and his lips slightly parted with a thin thread of drool glistening on his chin. There were no creases of concentration on his forehead or any embarrassed worry lines. He looked like the picture of innocence and the thought made Victor chuckle a little as he rested his cheek on the top of his head. The rest of the world thought Yuuri Katsudi was innocent; he knew very differently.

The Japanese boy murmured something as he nuzzled against his source of warmth, his blue scarf bundling around his face as he snuggled ever closer to Victor. Unlike the Russian, who was wearing a thin brown coat with a scarf hanging loosely from his shoulder, Yuuri was wrapped up tightly in a thick blue coat with a matching hat and scarf that was pulled so tightly around his neck, Victor wondered how he could breathe properly. It was clear he had left his dorm in a hurry; his black hair was falling about his face in an uncombed mess, there were two odd socks clearly visible above the line of his trainers and Victor could still spy crumbs around his mouth from the hasty breakfast he had gobbled down whilst they were waiting on the platform. Victor had offered to lick the crumbs away as he reached in to hug him but that had only made him jump away with his face glowing red as he looked around the station frantically. Victor could understand why. They had been secretly dating for almost eight months and at the rink they had always had to be careful when showing affection to each other. Yuuri just wasn't used to being so open with his affections and that was fine by him. Victor knew he would come out of his shell eventually. Yuuri just had to be helped along a little bit and he was all too happy to help him.

Victor grinned at the thought but when his mind strayed back to the rink, he thought of his family and a wave of guilt crashed over him that wiped the smile away. It wasn't like he had wanted to keep Yuuri a secret from his family. In fact, he had wanted to shout his love for the man from every rooftop in St Petersburg when they had first got together; it had only been Yuuri's rationality that had stopped him. He just didn't know what they would make of him falling in love with a man. His siblings would be shocked, he was certain of that, but he figured they would come around eventually, especially when they actually met Yuuri. He was just too adorable to dislike, he thought with another grin as he gathered his boyfriend up in his arms and gave him a tight squeeze. How could anyone hate a cute little face like that?

The main problem would be Yakov. He could already see the angry disappointed look his father would give him and it felt like a shard of glass in his heart. He already didn't like Yuuri; he had made that perfectly clear when he had called him a limpet and a bad influence. Victor had wanted to tell him last night in the hope they wouldn't have to do this but Yakov had shut him off completely, steamrolling over him and insisting that he keep his distance. He only saw Yuuri as a third-rate skater, somehow completely missing what Victor saw in him. There had always been something about Yuuri's skating that made his heart leap. He wasn't sure if it was the personas he could create or the sense of fearlessness and risk that surrounded him, but something made him unable to tear his eyes away from him when he was on the ice. Somehow, his father, the man who had spotted so many great talents including himself and all his siblings, had somehow missed all of it. Maybe the old man was losing his touch? Victor wondered as he pressed a finger to his lips. He had been getting more irritable lately…

That wasn't the only problem he knew Yakov would have with his relationship. He could already hear the rant that would come about his skating career ringing in his ears. Yakov's speeches were always predictable and Victor already knew what he would say; Victor was being a disgrace to the family and soiling his reputation by attaching himself to a no-hope. He would be throwing away a glorious career and the chance to make history. He would be wrecking his chances of representing his country and bringing glory not just to Russia but to their family as well. Could he ever forgive himself for that? Could he stand bringing shame to his brothers and sister and potentially damage their futures as well? The words stung even though he hadn't heard them. Yakov was a great coach in that he always knew what to say to people to motivate them but it also meant he knew just what to say to make them hurt the most.

That was why they had been forced to keep their love a secret for so long, he thought, his attention wondering back to the window and the ever-changing landscape, and why they had been spurred to do this. He felt another shiver of excitement when he thought of what they were doing. Even though he had planned this with Yuuri for over two weeks, he still felt that thrill of excitement and danger whenever he realised it was really happening.

For many others, a trip to your partner's hometown to meet their family would be simple if a little daunting but to Victor, it had felt more like he was on an undercover mission when he had crept from his room, slipping down the hallway past all his siblings bedrooms to meet Yuuri outside. They had embraced under the cover of darkness, hardly believing it was happening and the other would really be theirs and only theirs for a whole week. It had been almost a scary moment for him as he looked back at his silent house but Yuuri had taken his hand and smiled and it all felt right again. This was right, he smiled again. Being here with Yuuri right now felt more right than anything.

Yuuri shifted his head again, murmuring a name that sounded a lot like Victor in his sleep before he burrowed back down into his shoulder, almost hiding his face completely from view. Victor moved one hand up to cradle his head whilst the other unconsciously stroked Maccachin. Looking down at his little sleeping beauty, it was difficult to believe that out of the pair, he was the one who had seduced the other. Victor grinned again when he thought of how they had first met. That really was a story…

OOO

"Vitya!" Yakov's voice unwelcomely burst into his ear, waking Victor up from his daze. "Do you need the lady to repeat the question?"

Victor shook his head a little, trying to wake himself up as he forced himself to focus on his current situation. Where was he again? Oh yes, the banquet. It was just after the Grand Prix; he had claimed his second title the day before and now this was the celebration. The dry, completely boring celebration, he thought quietly to himself as he sipped more champagne and put a smile on his face. Yakov was making him do the rounds of all the people in the large ballroom, insisting he talk to every dignitary and every journalist and whoever else important happened to be here. He didn't think he had ever been more bored in his whole life.

"Sorry, could you say that again please?" He asked the latest person he was being made to speak too, shooting the small woman the most dazzling smile he could muster. She giggled, her cheeks blushing as she waved her hand like it was nothing and she softly spoke.

"I was just wondering… for your fans… what are your plans for next year? Will you be competing for a third title?"

"Of course he will," Yakov jumped in, his gruff voice sounding a little affronted that she would even consider other possibilities. "My son here is already working on his programmes for next year and they are going to be even more technically brilliant…"

Victor allowed his mind to wander again as he took a purposeful step away from the conversation. He turned away from his father as he began another rant, holding the poor woman in his trap as she was now obligated to listen to him. I hope she has stamina, Victor chuckled into his champagne as he wandered away from the two of them. She's really going to need it.

His eyes travelled around the vast room, noting the curling gold patterns on the walls and the giant chandelier that sparkled above his head with mild interest. This had to be one of the most lavish rooms he had ever set foot in and he had been in quite a few over his career. He mulled over this as he viewed the people around him, a mix of other skaters, coaches, judges and various others all looking for a slice of the famous champion. He could feel several sets of eyes on him already but he made sure to meet none of them, instead taking a long drag of his champagne before setting down the empty glass. It didn't take him long to find another and he carried on ignoring everyone as his mind wandered far away.

God, he was bored. This was nothing like a party at all, he wondered disgruntledly but deep down, he knew he was bored with much more than just this lacklustre excuse for a celebration. Yakov had said it so clearly, next year he would enter the Grand Prix and win and then the next year and the next… where was the excitement? The thrill? _The surprise_?

Victor always wanted to surprise people; from that very first time he had been told he would never come to much, being a baby abandoned on the steps of the orphanage, he had wanted to surprise them all by proving them wrong. When he had first been told he wouldn't do well on the ice, he had surprised them by having a natural talent for skating and the looks on their faces had filled him with a pride and happiness he had never known before. He had loved skating for that chance and he had used it to surprise people, working to become the best in his age group, then in Russia, and now the best in the world. Not bad for an poor orphan boy, he thought, remembering his social worker's old words with a small smirk but that quickly passed and he felt empty again. He still loved skating, it was his life but now he seemed to have lost his surprise. Everyone predicted he would win and he would; there was nothing fun in knowing exactly what was going to happen. It was like watching a movie just after a friend had told you every spoiler. He was now just going through the motions, watching his career play out before it had even happened.

And he hated that.

He looked around the room again and spotted his younger brother Yuri on the other side of the ballroom. He too was surrounded by people asking him questions and by the enraged look he was giving them all, he too was clearly not enjoying himself. Georgi and Mila were nowhere to be seen; they hadn't won big this year like he and Yuri had so they had had the privilege of leaving early, something neither he nor Yuri had been happy about. Right now the Ice Tiger of Russia, as he insisted on calling himself (and Victor occasionally indulged him by going along with it), looked ready to bite the heads off of a gaggle of young women who were cooing all over him like he was a doll they were about to dress up. Victor wanted to laugh at the adoring looks they had on their faces. Their idea of Yuri being the cutest thing ever was so painfully wrong, it was hilarious. The fourteen-year-old had just won the Junior Championships and was already taking the skating world by storm. He would be entering the Senior division next year and Victor knew he was raring to win. Victor secretly welcomed the challenge; competing against his brother would surely make the Grand Prix next year a little less dull.

He glanced away from where his brother was resisting mass murder and instead sought out the other skaters in the crowd. He could easily find Chris, his best friend, standing among a group of pretty girls who were fawning all over him. He didn't even try to dissuade them, running his fingers through his blond curls and winking his olive green eyes in a way that had them all swooning and squealing. He always had been a lady's man, Victor thought with a smile, he was practically a walking magnet for them. They had been friends since Victor had entered the Senior division and Chris had told him many times before that he couldn't imagine a competition without him now. He had come second in this year's Grand Prix; he would definitely be in it again next year.

He drew his attention away from Chris and picked out more faces of his potential rivals for next year. There was JJ Leroy from Canada laughing loudly about something and flashing his signature gesture at anyone who walked past. He was almost certain to be there again after coming third this year. He could see Michele Crispino in another corner, his arm protectively held around his sister's waist as he almost dared any man to approach her. Victor wasn't sure about him; he had talent sure but he wasn't sure if he could go up against some of the others. He had only just scraped into the final as he was, he would need to seriously improve to get higher than fifth. He couldn't even see the Chinese skater that had come fourth. Had he even shown up? Lucky, Victor thought scornfully. He would have happily given his medal away just to escape this excuse for a party.

He was scanning the room again when suddenly, he noticed a lone figure standing by a table almost directly opposite him and he paused, intrigued. The short, dark-haired man was facing away from him but he could see the glimmer of a champagne glass at his lips as he tilted his head back, drinking down the bubbly liquid like it was water. It clearly wasn't his first glass either; tall thin flutes were standing to attention in rows on the table in front of him, looking like a legion of soldiers. Victor watched as the man set his now sucked dry glass on the table with the others and wobbly reached for a new one. He was swaying slightly on his feet, his head lolling on his neck like the two weren't properly connected and as he downed more drink in one swift gulp, Victor caught a glimpse of his bright pink face.

Ah, he thought, I recognise him now. He's the skater who came last… wasn't Yuuri his name? Yuuri Katsudi? That would be interesting seeing two Yuri's in the senior division, he pondered though as this Yuuri turned around and slowly loosened his blue tie from around his neck, he could tell this man was completely different from his brother. He was Japanese with a rounded face that Victor acknowledged was kind of cute, short dark hair that he was pushing back from his face and glasses that kept sliding down his nose. Victor watched as he looked over the crowd before he suddenly yanked his glasses from his face and set them down on the table. He then got a clear view of his large brown eyes, slightly blown with drink, and his jaw nearly dropped. The look in those brown depths was sultry and confident, they looked predatory as he stared around the room with a gaze that promised to wreck you. For a second they locked on Victor and he felt like his insides had turned to liquid as the man gave him a wink. He looked away, letting a blush settle on Victor's face before he strolled into the middle of the room, his hips swaying and his eyes flashing as more heads turned to look over at him. God, those eyes could be the death of me, Victor thought with a shudder as suddenly, the music got louder and Yuuri began to dance.

He started off slowly at first, moving his arms fluidly around his body like he was dancing ballet before a beat kicked in and the rest of his body started to move. He threw himself into the music with a reckless abandonment and the music seemed to respond in kind, moving him like the song had been streamed straight into his blood and had taken control. Even when drunk, he had all the grace of a dancer and the way he was moving… Victor felt his mouth go dry as he stared transfixed at him, watching as he threw his head back and he once again caught sight of those beautiful eyes. They were commanding, begging him to watch and he couldn't have stopped if he tried. He could hear the hum of conversation around him dying as people turned to watch him dance but it still felt intimate, like Victor was getting his own private show. Yuuri seemed to feel his eyes on him as when the song switched to another with an equally fast pace, he whipped his body so he was directly facing him and then, ever so tantalisingly slowly, his tongue dipped from under his upper lip and dragging itself along the bottom one, taking its time as his eyes watched the silver-haired man like a hawk.

That was the moment Victor knew he was fucked.

More people were taking an interest in the dancefloor now; some had even got up to dance though they were nothing compared to the stunning young Japanese man. Even Yuri was taking an interest. Victor could see him watching the dancefloor with his lip curled in disgust. He then locked eyes with Victor, who hadn't realised how openly he had been staring until Yuri gave him a look.

"Victor will you stop ogling him already?! It's disgusting!" He yelled as he marched over to him but that only served to catch the dancing Yuuri's attention. Within seconds, he was standing in front of him, a challenging look in his eyes as he swept his hair back and gave a giant smirk.

"What's wrong?" He said, his voice slurred slightly as his tongue fumbled over the English words. He had a heavy Japanese accent but even with the alcohol making it difficult for him to speak his second language, his voice still had a sexy drawl to it and Victor blushed even harder. "Are you scared of me or something?"

"Scared of you?!" Yuri looked disgusted at the thought. "No way am I scared of you, you crybaby loser!"

Something in those words seemed to flick a switch in Yuuri. At once, his eyes got darker and he leaned in slightly, using the height advantage he had over Yuri as the blond Russian stepped back. Yuuri only smiled at him, his lips curling devilishly into a smouldering smirk and Victor didn't know how he kept himself standing up.

"Prove it then. In a dance-off."

He then turned and swayed his way back onto the floor, everyone's eyes back on him as he looked over his shoulder enticingly. As the music changed again, he placed one hand on his hips and raised one eyebrow.

"Well? You still scared?"

As Yuri roared and suddenly charged onto the dancefloor, yelling at the top of his lungs that he would wipe the floor with him, Victor had to reach his hands back to find the edge of the table. How was this the same man who had come sixth earlier? He had only seen glimpses of him after the results; he had asked Yuri who had mentioned something about seeing him in the bathroom but he had sounded pretty mad about it and he hadn't pressed the subject. Victor could remember watching his performances and thinking they weren't bad but Yuuri had been too nervous to pull them off. Now there were no nerves to be seen as he started moving his hips to the music, throwing himself into the dance like it was his last.

He flew into the air in a great jump before landing and suddenly he was on the floor, pushing himself up with just one arm and tossing his legs up to the sky in a breakdance move that looked effortlessly flawless. Even Yuri looked taken aback as he tried to follow suit but even though he was far from a bad dancer, he paled in comparison to Yuuri's sheer sex appeal. God, he looks like sex on legs, Victor thought, a moan almost escaping him as he wondered what it would be like to have those hands wondering over his body, those sinful lips following after…

Control yourself! Your father and little brother are here! Victor bit his lip hard as he watched the frantic dance-off. It was obvious who the winner would be; Yuri already looked like he was flagging whilst the other Yuuri was still going strong. His shirt had untucked itself from his belt and as he hurled himself around, the white material was riding further and further up his torso, revealing a stomach that was packed with straining muscle. Victor's eyes widened as he stared, wondering if that was what a god's stomach looked like. He felt his tongue flick out to moisten his lips and he suddenly wondered what it would be like to run it along the ridges of those muscles…

Stop! Stop right there! His brain once again warned him before he could think any further along those lines. You're still in public Victor! He forced himself to look away for a second before he tried to cool his brain down with another long sip of champagne. However, that proved to be a very bad move as when he looked back at the dancefloor, Yuri was nowhere to be seen and Yuuri was looking directly at him. His eyes were now flashing with daring and dominance and Victor almost felt like he was being told off. _I didn't tell you to look away. Now you have to be punished._ Victor watched breathlessly as Yuuri reached up to his collar and slowly pulled away the button. He then did it again and again to the two buttons underneath, ignoring his tie as it laid flat on his collarbone. His eyes never left Victor's and Victor almost whimpered when he suddenly stopped just short of exposing himself fully, His arm then pointed straight ahead, his fingers at his eyeline as he beckoned Victor over.

 _If you want more, you have to come and get it._

Oh shit, Victor thought as he suddenly strode onto the dancefloor, pulling his own jacket off as he went. I am well and truly fucked.

…

Victor didn't see Yuuri again until he got back to Russia. It had been nearly three weeks since the infamous banquet but ever since he had laid eyes on the beautiful dancing man, he was all he had been able to think about. How could he not when he had turned one of the most boring parties he had ever seen into the best night of his life? He had been buzzed on champagne but he could still remember everything in perfect clear detail like each frame of his memory was a photograph. He had spent the rest of the night dancing with Yuuri Katsudi, fiercely tangoing the night away, unaware of the eyes that were on them as they could only focus on each other. Those strong arms had wrapped around his core, holding him safe and secure whilst his eyes had bewitched him, making Victor feel like he was drowning as he stared into them.

Then Chris had got involved in the action, somehow bringing a pole into the ballroom and, to everyone's surprise, Yuuri had leapt on it like he had been working the thing his whole life. He didn't have the skill to pull off some of Chris's moves (and honestly Victor didn't want to know how Chris could) but he had still put on a fine show that had had everyone amazed. His body had moved to the music almost magically and Victor still got a little sweaty when he thought about it. Just the memory of his body draped over his, his blue tie wrapped like a headband around his forehead and his shirt unbuttoned all the way was enough to make all his blood run south. He could never have imagined a stuffy banquet night to turn out that way but it had- and he had never been happier about it.

Unfortunately, the next day when he had made inquiries, it appeared like the Japanese skater had vanished. The hotel desk had told him the man had booked out early the next morning, still looking a little worse for wear, and when he had looked him up online, there was barely anything on his whereabouts. The only information he could gather was that he had left his usual rink in Japan and had instead gone to train at a mystery location to try and focus on his skating for next year. That move made sense to Victor after the disastrous season the boy had had but he had still felt a twinge of sadness that he couldn't contact him. Even though he tried not to, he couldn't shake away the image of those lidded brown eyes staring at him like he was going to devour him and savour every second.

At one point those eyes had been staring up at him, begging him to be his coach. At first, he had thought the idea to be ridiculous but now, whenever he thought of it, he would feel a small bubbling in his chest, a spreading warmth that made him feel like a teenager that had just won his first competition again. Still, he would tell himself, dwelling on it was fruitless. It wasn't like it was ever going to happen.

However, fate had a funny way of making his wildest dreams come true.

It had been a very ordinary day practising at the rink. His entire family had been there, him and his siblings out gliding across the ice and Yakov standing and watching, occasionally barking orders at them or jabbing his finger to highlight a mistake or a sloppy move. He hadn't been wrong when he had told that woman he was already working on routines for next year- Victor was already putting moves together in his head as he glided over the ice, letting his feet move where they wanted as he shut out the rest of the rink. He barely heard the sounds of the other skaters around him as he focused on his actions and emotions, letting them spill over into movement and take him where the music demanded. He was so absorbed in his actions, he didn't realise he was being watched until he heard Yakov's voice explode from the barriers and he whipped his head back to see what was happening.

"Hey! You two! Go away, this is a private skate!"

There was a loud embarrassed squeal from the other side of the rink and Victor almost fell down onto the ice when he recognised the voice. He flung his body towards the sound, just in time to see a dark head of hair dive down out of sight. His heart suddenly thudded. Could that really be him? He watched as the head slowly rose again, revealing a familiar round face with square blue glasses and big brown eyes which were staring at the ice with absolute terror in them. Beside him, another boy was standing with his phone held aloft, waving over at them with complete confidence unlike his friend who seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Sorry Sir!" The boy with the phone yelled over, his English heavily accented with an Asian tongue Victor couldn't quite place. "We didn't mean to intrude! We're going to be skating here from now on so we wanted to see what your rink was like! It's very impressive!"

"Phichit…" The other boy suddenly spoke up, tugging desperately on his friend's sleeve. "We should go, we don't want to interrupt…"

"You're both going to be skating here?" Yakov called over abruptly, making the two of them freeze in place. "Who are you both?"

"I'm Phichit Chulanot, the top skater in all of Thailand!" The young man declared proudly before grabbing his friend's wrist and hauling him upwards so he was on display to the whole rink. "And this is the pride and glory of Japan, Yuuri Katsudi!"

Yakov viewed them both with suspicion before his eyes fell on the terrified-looking Yuuri and his scowl deepened. "Yuuri Katsudi, huh?" He said, his voice cold as the ice beneath Victor's skates. "I remember you from the finals. Didn't you come last?"

Yuuri only winced in response, giving a small nod before his eyes looked away from Yakov's in shame. They floated over to the rink where the other skaters were still watching the whole encounter unfurl and they kept frantically moving until they came to a stop on Victor. He could feel them traveling up his body until he reached his own eyes and their gazes met. Brown stared into the intense blue and Victor didn't even realise he had stopped breathing. They stared at each other for a long moment that felt like it lasted for hours with just the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears. Victor finally remembered he had limbs and was raising his hand to give him a wave when Yuuri gave a strangled sound and wrestled his hand from his friend's grip. Without even a look back, he suddenly bolted from the rink, leaving both Victor and Phichit standing there like statues staring after him.

Victor was confused. What had just happened? He hadn't done anything to scare him, had he? He had looked so horrified to see him but hadn't he wanted that? Victor could feel his stomach sinking but his feet had a mind of their own as suddenly he was at the other end of the rink, stepping off the ice and ignoring Yakov's yells as he fumbled with his skates. He didn't care if his father got mad at him, he needed answers. He yanked his skates from his feet, tossing them aside as he went to run after Yuuri but before he could even take a few steps, his path was being blocked by Phichit. The Thai man was staring at him with a cautious but worried expression and Victor didn't know what to make of it as he tried to dive past him.

"Excuse me, I need to-"

"Hold on a second," Phichit foiled his attempt to escape by grabbing his forearm and yanking him back with a surprising strength; Victor could now see why Yuuri had been powerless to stop him. He fixed Victor with his own large eyes that had a strong warning in them and Victor instantly stopped struggling. "I think you'll want to know this. It's about the banquet."

"The banquet?" Victor couldn't stop his voice sounding hopeful as he stared back at him. "You were there?"

"No but I heard all about it from the other skaters who were there. It sounds like Yuuri really made an impact," Phichit almost smiled for a moment before his eyes went stern again. "But here's the thing. I was talking to Yuuri about it afterwards and he doesn't remember it. Not a thing. He was so drunk he had a complete blackout and he doesn't have a clue what happened. All he knows is, one minute he's miserably drinking champagne on his own and the next, he's lying in his hotel room with a bunch of twenties in his underwear and his tie around his head."

Victor's first thought, he was ashamed to admit, had been, who else put twenties in Yuuri's underwear? I only gave him one as a joke! He thought, thinking momentarily of other hands crowding in on him and getting quickly protective before the rest of Phichit's words sunk in. He doesn't remember it? Nothing at all? He doesn't remember the dance off and the pole dancing? He doesn't even remember dancing with me and asking me to be his coach? Phichit saw his face and gave him a sympathetic look but his voice was still firm when he spoke.

"He's really embarrassed about it; I've managed to keep most of what happened away from him but he still heard some things and he was ready to quit skating forever in shame. It took me ages to persuade him to come and make a fresh start here and I would appreciate it if you didn't undo all that and scare him away." He fixed Victor with a hard stare. "He's my best friend, I'm not having him get hurt."

Victor was stunned for a few seconds before he gave a smile and nodded to him. "Don't worry about that." He said lowering his still-trapped arm. "I promise I won't say anything about the banquet. I only want to help him get better. I saw him at the Grand Prix and he really has potential to be amazing. It just hasn't been utilised yet."

Phichit gave him another look that made Victor feel like he was being examined before he sighed and let go of his arm. "Alright," He eventually said. "But you better not hurt him, understand? Or you'll have me to answer to."

Victor only gave a nod in response to the threat before he quickly sped off in the same direction as Yuuri. He felt elated as he ran, resisting the urge to jump up and punch the air as he went for the locker rooms where he guessed Yuuri would be hiding. Finally, he was now going to meet the man who had enchanted him and he couldn't wait to see what kind of person he really was. It pained him a little to think he didn't remember the banquet but now that didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was that he was here and he was real and Victor was going to find him.

He opened the door to the locker rooms quietly, carefully listening out for any noise and feeling his face split into a grin when he heard a scuffling sound from the other end of the room. Being cautious to close the door softly behind him, he crept through the long alleys of lockers until he could peer around them, instantly spotting Yuuri crouching by the end wall. He was almost curled up into a ball with his head on his knees and his hands covering his face which Victor could see through the gaps in his fingers was a deep fire engine red. He was also softly muttering to himself, so occupied in his embarrassment that he didn't notice Victor approaching him.

"Oh my God… he's here… Victor is actually here, I can't take this… I knew I shouldn't have let Phichit persuade me to come to Russia… he probably knew he was here damnit… oh God, he probably hates me after the banquet…"

"I don't hate you."

At the sudden sound, Yuuri jerked his head up so fast he hit the back of his head on the wall. "Argh!" He cried out as his hands snapped back to reach his aching head and Victor suddenly dived to the floor, wanting to make sure he was alright.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! Here, let me see…"

He raised his hands up both the second he touched his head, Yuuri sprang away from him, his chest heaving and his face flushing crimson as he stared at the silver-haired man like he was about to eat him alive. "It's O-OK, I'm-m f-f-fine!" He stuttered, looking terrified again as he tried to scramble to his feet. "I should g-go, I've given y-you enough t-trouble…"

"Yuuri, please, it's no trouble at all." Victor told him softly, gripping his wrist so he couldn't go anywhere and forcing him to look at his face. "It was my fault anyway, I'm the one that surprised you. Can I at least make sure you're alright?"

Yuuri stayed still, his cheeks still deep pink as he stared back at Victor. He gave him a reassuring smile and Yuuri gave a tiny squealing sound that only made him smile wider. He's so cute, Victor thought as Yuuri eventually relented. He let Victor pull him back over to him and sat quietly next to him as Victor looked over his head. He gave a small whimper the moment his hands touched his hair and Victor felt his heart skip as he ran his fingers through the thick dark locks. Unlike at the banquet, his hair was flatter and flopped forwards, some of the longer strands almost falling into his eyes. As Victor brushed it, he could see he was still blushing as even the tips of his ears were going red. He almost cooed at them but, thinking he didn't want to embarrass him further, he carried on, trying his hardest not to grin like a madman as they only got darker. The one thing that struck him most was how different his eyes were. They were still wide and rounded and the same shade of brown but now as he tried to look anywhere but at Victor, they were filled with an innocence that took him completely by surprise. They couldn't have been more opposite to the sultry eyes that had teased him so perfectly at the banquet and that intrigued him even more. It seems like there are two sides to him, like the sides of a coin, he thought as his fingers ran into a bump on the back of the boy's head and he winced. I wonder what this side of him is like?

"You have a pretty nasty bump here," Victor said, reluctantly pulling his fingers out of the knots he had made in Yuuri's hair. "I think we should go find an ice pack for it."

"T-that's OK, you don't have to," Yuuri replied, shakily getting to his feet as he looked around for a door. "I can f-find it by m-myself…"

"But you only just got here, you don't know where the medical room is!" Victor exclaimed, trying to disguise his happiness when Yuuri didn't try to argue. "I can take you there!"

"B-but…" Yuuri stammered again as Victor took one of his hands and started to lead him away. "Shouldn't you be getting back to training? Your coach sounded p-pretty m-mad…"

"Oh Yakov? He's a teddy bear, I'll just make it up tomorrow." Victor said, smiling as he turned around and leant into Yuuri's face. He could tell by the sudden flare of pink across his cheeks that he was embarrassed by their closeness; Victor's face was so close to his that their noses were almost brushing. The blush only got worse when Victor raised a hand and swiped his thumb over the cushion of his bottom lip before pressing it gently into the indent in the middle. "Besides, I want to talk to you. You said your name was Yuuri Katsudi, right?"

…

A few days later, Victor couldn't believe his luck. His talk with Yuuri as they had sat in the medical room, him holding the ice pack against Yuuri's head despite his protests and giggling when he saw how red it turned him, had gone surprisingly well and he had left the rink feeling like he was walking on a cloud. It had taken a long time to get Yuuri to open up to him. At first when Victor had asked him questions, he had received short stuttering answers that were often accompanied by him hiding his reddening face in his hands. His answers had been mumbled so softly, Victor had had to lean in just to hear him but that only seemed to make him worse. Victor had tried every subject he could think of but it was only when he mentioned his dog that Yuuri lifted his head from his hands and given up the first piece of information about him.

"I know you have a poodle called Maccachin. He's really cute. I had a poodle too back home. His name was Vicchan but he wasn't as big…"

Victor had leapt on that titbit and soon after, Yuuri had opened up to him a little more. From that afternoon, Victor had learned that he came from a place called Hasetsu in Japan, his parents ran a bath house that had sounded incredibly appealing and he had owned a poodle who had died just before the Grand Prix. Yuuri had teared up a little when talking about it, the pain still raw, and it had taken all Victor had not to scoop him up and kiss them away. Instead he had just put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, a gesture Yuuri had seemed to appreciate more as he had given him a small smile.

"Thanks." He had said softly, his eyes shining with sincerity and Victor felt his heart pound at the sight of it. Even when he got home hours later and Yakov had yelled at him for a solid ten minutes about running off when he should be training, it still warmed his heart and kept him squealing into his pillow like a teenager the entire night. He knew he had fallen for the seductive Yuuri at the banquet but this sweeter side of him was making him fall even harder.

It wasn't until a couple of days after that first meeting when he found out Yuuri's dog had been named after him. "I got him not long after seeing your first competition on TV." Yuuri had explained, his cheeks going rosy pink in a way Victor found adorable. "I was nine and had only just started skating but you made it look so beautiful, I wanted to be on the ice as I watched you. My friend from home used to record all of your performances and we would watch them together and when I heard you liked poodles, I badgered my parents to get me one. I was such a big fan I then named him after you… not that I'm saying I'm no longer a big fan, I've always admired you… oh god, this is so embarrassing!" He had again tried to hide his face away behind his fingers but Victor had only laughed and pulled them away, locking his fingers into Yuuri's so he couldn't escape and enjoying how Yuuri went red as he stared at their intertwining hands.

"I'm very honoured Yuuri," Victor had said, grinning at him. "It means a lot to me that you like my skating." He had already heard from Phichit that Yuuri was a big fan of his; he had shown him a picture of his old room in Detroit where they had both trained for a year and the walls had been covered with posters of him. It had been the most impressive collection of his work Victor had ever seen and he had been so happy to see it, he had almost squeezed Phichit to death in the grateful hug he had given him. "If you want to see some in person, you can come training with me tomorrow morning. If you want to of course…"

"I want to!" Yuuri had nodded so enthusiastically, Victor had worried his neck might give out and his own smile had threatened to betray him as he felt his cheeks ache.

"Great!"

The next morning, his whole family had been shocked to find him already at the rink when they got there for morning practise. He still wanted to laugh when he remembered how stunned they had looked as they stood in the doorway, watching him as he had leant casually against the barrier, already in his skates with a sheen of sweat on his brow and his water bottle in his hands. His eyes had been hungrily following Yuuri as he glided across the ice, skimming the surface gracefully as he performed the step sequence from Victor's last routine at the Grand Prix. It had been to a piece called Stay Close to Me, a song that had spoken to Victor of great beauty when he had first heard it but now he could barely hear the melody as he just watched Yuuri skate. He was a little out of shape and the jumps he had tried had been far from perfect but his steps were so in time and conveyed the emotions of the song so perfectly, Victor had found himself unable to care.

It had taken him a long few minutes to notice his father and siblings were standing in the doorway and when he had, he had shot them a wide smile and a wave. "Good morning!" He had called over. "I didn't see you there!"

"Vitya!" Yakov had bellowed over, making Yuuri on the ice grind to a halt at the sound. "What are you doing?"

"Practising obviously." Victor had answered, smiling like there was nothing wrong. "Yuuri generously offered to be my rink mate and I couldn't refuse when he skates like that."

Yuuri once again had blushed so red, it looked like he had been scalded. His eyes looked down at the ice as the rest of his family approached, Yuri stalking ahead of them all with a deep scowl etched on his young features. "Really?" He had snorted when he looked over at the figure standing there. "You got up early for this pig?"

He had directed another scowl at him but he had stopped when Victor had fixed him with a glare. His mouth had still been curled upwards but his blue eyes had been frosty and that had made the smile more threatening. "Please don't talk about my friend like that Yuri." He had said, his voice soft but still with an edge of iron. "You might want to get used to him; we're going to be skating a lot together from now on." After throwing that last comment over his shoulder, he had skated away to join Yuuri in the centre of the rink, leaving his siblings all open mouthed and Yakov frowning. Victor had been yelled at again later but still, he had thought, that had all been worth it.

…

Four months passed before they had their first kiss. Victor had spent every day on the ice practising with Yuuri, not leaving his side even though he knew Yakov disapproved of how much time he was spending with the Japanese skater. They now had a routine where Victor would practise with his family in the mornings and through most of the afternoon then staying behind after they had left to help Yuuri with his practise. He was impressed with the boy's stamina; whilst Victor skated under Yakov, Yuuri would be on the other side of the rink with his fellow Asian skaters, including his friend Phichit. He worked just as hard as the rest of them yet he still always had energy at the end of the day to work with Victor, letting him watch his routines and give him advice before trying again and again until he got it perfect. Yuuri told him it came from the ballet training he had done since he was a little boy and from the regular runs he went on and Victor had been amazed at him. The small amount of weight he had put on in the gap between the Grand Prix and arriving in Russia had dropped off him in less than a month, leaving him well toned and muscular. Victor could feel how different he was when he hugged him and, although he would never have told him, he kind of missed the little bit of chubbiness he had had; it had made him so cuddly, Victor hadn't wanted to let him go.

The two of them had fallen into a relaxed intimacy that involved a lot of touching and hugging from Victor's part. He knew it embarrassed Yuuri whenever he threw his arms around him in a tight hug or when his hands strayed to his face and hips but he really couldn't help himself. Yuuri was just too adorable and the blush that would creep up his neck and over his ears was just irresistible. Every day it felt like a little more of Yuuri was opened up to him, every day he would discover something new about him. He told him his favourite food was katsudon and that his mother made the best in all of Japan, that his best friend from home was called Yuuko and she had triplet girls who were his biggest fans and that he always got really bad anxiety before every competition. Victor could see he was unsure of himself and his abilities and it was the one thing he couldn't understand about Yuuri. How did he never see how amazing he was? Victor could see it every time he set foot on the ice and with every day, it only made him more determined to make Yuuri see what he could see in him.

That was why he suggested that Yuuri work on a routine to a favourite piece of his In Regards to Love: Eros. He had been considering it for himself and come up with a sort of routine for it but now he wanted to see Yuuri skate it and unleash his true potential. Victor knew he could be sexy after all; Yuuri had shown that in spades at the banquet. He had protested it at the beginning, saying that Eros wasn't him at all but all Victor had had to do was give him his biggest puppy eyes and his surest words and he had agreed to try it. Now, a few weeks after he had suggested it, the routine had come together nicely and Yuuri was beginning to make it his own. He was starting to skate it with more confidence, like he had a specific goal in mind and now before his routine began, he had gotten into the habit of blowing kisses over to Victor as the music started, riding high on his wave of confidence before it was lost by the end of the performance. It was times like that when Victor was very glad there were barriers or else Yuuri would have seen what those kisses and glances did to him. Victor knew his reaction would have embarrassed him and he would never have skated it again and that was the last thing in the world that he wanted.

It was one evening at the rink when Yuuri was working on it again that it happened. He's got the step sequence down very nicely, Victor thought as he watched him dance across the ice, defiantly kicking out his feet and twirling his arms and hands as he danced. He's moving like a seductress should. If he could just get those jumps… Both of them knew jumps were his weaker points but he would make up for them with his performance. Victor watched, expecting Yuuri to go into a triple axel but instead he slowed to a stop, his back to Victor as he caught his breath that was coming out in great silvery clouds around him.

"Yuuri?" Victor called over to him, his voice worried as Yuuri didn't move. Then he turned around and skated over to Victor with a strange expression on his face. It was a strange mixture of worry and determination and Victor could see his hands were shaking slightly as he made his way over to him. "Is everything OK? You haven't hurt yourself, have you?"

"No, I'm fine." Yuuri was quick to reassure him, waving his hands out in front of him as he skated closer to the barrier. His elbows were now leaning on the top of it and he was so close to Victor, he could see every speck of brown in his eyes. "I just have something I wanted to show you. It's something I've been working on for a little while and I got the music for it today… and I wanted you to be the first to see it."

His cheekbones were tinted pink again and Victor gave a smile. "Of course, I'll watch you. I love seeing you skate."

Yuuri smiled bashfully at that before his eyes took on a more focused confident look and he suddenly leaned forwards. His face was now up against Victor's, their hair brushing together and their breaths mingling in the cold air. It was Victor's turn to blush; Yuuri hadn't initiated contact with him since the banquet and right now the steely look in his eyes was enough to remind Victor that this time, he was stone cold sober.

"Don't take your eyes off me, OK?"

Before Victor even had the chance to blurt out a reply, Yuuri was gone, back in the centre of the ice where he stood with his head bowed and his eyes closed. From the other side of the rink, some music started to play, a swirling mix of piano and violin and after a few gentle notes, Yuuri started to move. He opened his eyes and slowly raised his hands up to the sky, his expression almost like that of a devoted worshipper. Then, he side-stepped over the ice as he lowered them again, his eyes still focused upwards as if in awe of something only he could see and feel. He skated in circles, moving effortlessly into a step-sequence that Victor watched breathlessly. Did he really need to tell me not to take my eyes off him? He thought. I don't think I could if I tried.

As he went on, Yuuri movements started to relax, going from stiff to fluid as he flew over the ice. Every step was flawless, every spin perfect and Victor watched as he went into his first jump and landed it with a flourish. The music was building into a gentle crescendo as he packed in more jumps and Victor was spellbound. Yuuri's skating had such a fragile beauty to it, as if he was constantly a hair's breadth from disaster but that only made it more alluring. As he prepared for his final jump, he didn't even look tired and Victor found he was gripping the barrier so tightly, his knuckles had gone white.

He caught a glimpse of Yuuri's determined face just before he threw himself into the air. He span once, twice, three, four times… a cry escaped Victor's mouth and he jerked his head up when he realised what he was doing. Yuuri was attempting a quadruple flip, one of the most notoriously difficult moves and his own signature jump. He can't have tried anything like this before! He thought, watching as Yuuri successfully got enough rotation in and landed. He was wobbly and he had to put his hand on the ice but he stayed upright and moved into his next move. Victor couldn't believe his eyes as he went into a spin like nothing had happened and then stood up straight and proud on the ice. He finished his routine by crossing his legs and lifting his arm, pointing his gaze directly at Victor. For a moment, their eyes met and the intensity between them felt like electricity. Yuuri didn't pull his eyes away, even as he lowered his arms and let his shoulders slump as he gasped for breath. For a long moment, neither of them moved and Victor felt almost in a daze until Yuuri's panting voice broke the silence.

"So erm… what did you think?"

For a second, Victor just stared at him in bewilderment. Then, before he could even consider whether it was a good idea or not, he had vaulted over the barrier and was skating towards Yuuri as fast as his skates would allow him. It took him mere seconds to reach the boy and before Yuuri could even open his arms wide enough to take him, Victor had sprung forwards and crashed their lips together.

They both fell backwards onto the ice, hitting it with a loud thud though there was nobody but them around to hear it. Yuuri lay there shocked, the back of his head cradled by Victor's gloved hands that had saved him from once again hitting his head, as he struggled to register the fact that Victor's lips were still moving against his. The Russian's arms were gripping him so tightly in their warm embrace, he could barely feel the chill of the ice beneath him. Victor leant back, breaking the kiss as he stared down at him, suddenly panicking that he had made a big mistake. That kiss had felt heavenly to him and he wanted nothing more than to kiss him senseless but what if he didn't like it?

"Yuuri, I'm…" He began to say before he suddenly felt a hand in his hair that dragged him back downwards as Yuuri brought his head up so their lips met again. All his apologies died on his tongue as Victor pulled them closer, angling his head to deepen the kiss as Yuuri balled his hair into his fists. They stayed like that for a long moment, only moving away when their lungs started to burn with the need for air. Their foreheads fell together as they laid on the ice, no sound in the rink apart from their desperate gasps for air. They both just stared at each other, too absorbed in the other's face to look away, and Victor could feel his heart doing quadruple flips inside his ribcage. Yuuri's black hair was now tousled and messy, his eyes were wide and glowing in the evening light that shadowed the rink and his cheeks were flushed from effort. His skin was shining with sweat and his lips were swollen from the force of their kissing and Victor didn't know how he resisted taking him on the ice there and then. He moved his head back a little further before smiling down fondly at Yuuri's surprised face and going to brush some of his hair away from his eyes.

"I wanted to surprise you as much as you surprised me just now." He offered up in explanation. "You were breath-taking Yuuri, that routine was beautiful." He watched as Yuuri's face lit up into a wide grin and he brought one of his hands, the one that had brushed the ice and stopped him from falling, to his lips and kissed it softly, feeling the slight nip of cold on his lips. "And I've wanted to do that for a very long time."

"R-really?" Yuuri smiled up at him, blushing heavily again and Victor chuckled. It was so funny to him how quickly the confident man who had just kissed him so hungrily could so quickly go out of the window and leave him with his little ball of stammering cuteness. "I wanted to surprise you with my free skate and I got an old acquaintance to do the music for me. It's meant to reflect my skating career and… also finding m-my… love."

He tried to cover his face with his hands at the last word but Victor had grabbed his wrists, holding them away so he couldn't take cover behind them. "You shouldn't hide your beautiful face from me Yuuri," He smiled. "And your theme is love?"

Yuuri nodded, his face still bright red as he tried to avoid Victor's eyes by focusing down on a patch of ice by his foot. "I thought it would go with Eros and I wanted to show how I finally realised all the support I had from around me… I mean I never saw how much I had 'til recently from all the people back home and Phichit and… you." He finally raised his eyes shyly, looking at Victor from under his eyelashes. "And I… I've also wanted to kiss you for a really long time."

Victor felt like a firework had exploded inside of him as joy spread through his body. He grinned as he hugged Yuuri tightly again, bringing them both crashing back to the ice as he peppered his face with kisses until they were both breathlessly laughing and clinging to each other.

"That's good," He had whispered in his ear, feeling Yuuri shiver as his warm breath hit his flushed skin. "Because I'm planning to give you a whole lot more on every part of you I can reach..."

"Victor!" Yuuri squealed in embarrassment, going red and burrowing into his neck as Victor carried on with his onslaught of soft kisses. The pair of them didn't leave the ice for a long while.

OOO

Victor smiled at all the memories, hugging the still sleeping Yuuri to him as he remembered that first kiss. He could still recall how numb his legs had been when he had finally gotten up, how it had felt like the cold had sunk its teeth into his muscles and refused to let go even after a long hot bath, but it had all been worth it just to see Yuuri smiling up at him like that. He had once again been yelled at by Yakov for coming home hours after dark and then again by Yuri for hogging the bathroom but just thinking about Yuuri and the way his lips had felt against his had been enough to block it all out. It had only gotten better the next day when Yuuri had greeted him at the beginning of their evening session with a tiny peck on his cheek. The Japanese man had gone redder than a tomato afterwards and had skated away to practise like he was being chased afterwards but Victor hadn't cared. It was enough to know that his love was returned, even if his new boyfriend was a little shy about showing affection.

They had been dating in secret ever since that day, both of them knowing it would be heavily disapproved of. Knowing what Yakov thought of Yuuri, Victor knew he would have forbidden them to see each other, forcing them to train at different times to ensure they never even caught a glimpse of each other's faces. He wouldn't have put it past his father to try and pressure Yuuri to go back to Japan and Victor knew he couldn't have coped with that if it had happened. He sighed as the train continued to shake around him like a hand was rocking it on the rails. He knew his father wasn't a bad person, in fact he was far from it, he just wanted the best for his children and in his eyes, Yuuri just wasn't the best for Victor. He glanced back down at the dark-haired man who was still mumbling in his sleep and he smiled. Only he knew how much he really needed this man and how much he meant- even Yuuri himself hadn't figured that out yet. He had exploded into his life at that banquet, bringing so much colour and unpredictability into his life and he couldn't thank him enough for that. Yuuri always acted like it was Victor that had saved him by helping him with his skating but Victor knew deep in his heart that it had really been the other way around.

That was why he had wanted to do this, go to Yuuri's hometown and establish to both their families how special they were to each other but that hadn't been the only reason. Being careful not to rouse him, Victor unhooked one of his arms from around Yuuri and pushed it into his coat pocket. His gloved finger traced the edge of the small black box he had hidden in there and he gave a private grin at what he knew was inside. He had spent hours online looking at golden rings whilst the rest of his family had been in bed and then even more at local jewellery shops trying to find the perfect one. He had eventually found it in a tiny shop right on the outskirts of the city where it had been sold to him by an old lady with a knowing twinkle in her eye. He had known it was perfect the second he had laid eyes on it; it was not too thick or thin, it had the perfect sheen on it and there was enough space for an engraving on it. He had bought it on the spot and the lady had wished him luck as he walked away. He had spent the whole night afterwards daydreaming about how he would propose. He felt nervous about it but he was determined to do it. He and Yuuri would leave Russia as secret boyfriends; they would return as fiancés.

He kept grinning as he ran his fingers along the box, hoping to bring it a little way out of his pocket so he could see it. He almost had wriggled it out when his hand brushed against something and he froze. What was that? He thought as he tucked the box away and grabbed hold of it, pulling it out of his pocket and hearing it rustle. He looked down at it and the smile dropped from his face when he caught sight of the piece of notepaper covered in his sloping handwriting.

Shit! His eyes went wide as saucers when he realised what it was. This was the note he was supposed to have left in his room for his family to find, explaining where he had gone and when he would be back. Yuuri had insisted on him leaving one to try and alleviate his father's worry but here it was in his pocket. An image of how he had left his room after his frantic packing made him wince as he realised what it might look like. God, he thought, Father's going to kill me…

He stuffed the note hastily back in his pocket but the sudden hurried movement stirred the man sleeping on his shoulder who then started to wake up. A pair of soft bleary brown eyes looked up at him innocently from behind skewed glasses and Victor instantly forgot about the note as Yuuri gave him a sleepy smile. "Morning." He mumbled into his neck, still in the grips of his exhaustion as he wriggled into a more comfortable position on the seat and ruffled Maccachin's ears.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Victor answered, kissing the top of Yuuri's head. "Feel better?"

"Mmmhm." Victor chuckled as Yuuri just cuddled further into his side, still too tired to answer. His head was now leaning against him, his face looking up into his own with his chin digging into Victor bony shoulder. He didn't care though; the sight of Yuuri's sleepy face was too adorable and he detached a hand from Maccachin's fur to cup his chin and bring his lips up to meet his.

"Victor!" The kiss was short as Yuuri shrank back, wildly looking around as he fully woke up. His face was going red and Victor swore he could feel its heat under his gloves.

"What?" He said smoothly, leaning in with a small smile carved on his lips. "We're in an empty carriage Yuuri. There's nobody here to see us, we're entirely alone."

He purred the last words directly into Yuuri's ear and he felt his boyfriend's breath hitch. He waited a moment, letting Yuuri look around and see they were the only ones in the whole train carriage, before he pressed another kiss to his cheek and let Yuuri guide him back to his mouth.

This time, the kiss was long and lingering; they were unused to the luxury of having time on their side and they made the most of their isolation as they stroked each other's faces and hair, careful not to rouse Maccachin. Yuuri nipped at Victor's lips, making him moan into the kiss as he pulled him in tighter. The shy skater may normally seem innocent but Victor knew from experience how quickly he could become Eros; even now it still took him by surprise how forwards Yuuri could be and that was one of the many things he adored about him.

They broke apart after a long while, keeping their foreheads together as Yuuri gave a sudden giggle.

"What's so funny Лапочка?" Victor asked, the endearment slipping easily off his tongue and making Yuuri blush.

"Nothing, it's just… this doesn't quite feel real yet." Yuuri giggled again, his hands running through Victor short hair as he kept him anchored close to him. "Just now, waking up next to you… it felt like a dream."

"A good dream?" Victor asked, raising his eyebrow as Yuuri laughed again.

"The best." He replied, pecking him softly before he asked "How much longer to the station?"

"We've been travelling for a good few hours now," Victor answered, letting them both settle back into their seats still facing each other. "We shouldn't have more than a couple left now."

"Right." Yuuri nodded as his forehead creased in concern. "Do you think your family will have noticed you are gone yet?"

Victor took a look down at his watch. Morning practise would have started a little while ago. "They should have done by now."

"Will they have found your note?" Yuuri bit his lip and Victor inwardly cursed his forgetfulness as he ran a finger over Yuuri's forehead to smooth the lines away.

"Don't worry about it." He told him soothingly as Yuuri leaned into his touch. "Everything's going to be fine. If they were concerned, they would have already called me by now."

"Mmmm, OK?" Yuuri smiled, feeling reassured and Victor grinned back as he moved forwards for another kiss.

It was at that exact moment when his phone rang.

 _Лапочка = darling/sweetheart_

 _Please review and let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Welcome back and now this story has smut in it *dying from embarrassment* Seriously, I wrote part of this at my grandmother's and I was ready to faint every time someone looked over at me... anyway I hope it was worth it! I tried to make it as much like a first time as possible and this is the first time I've tried smut, let alone gay smut, so I hope it works._

 _Also somebody did point out that I've been spelling Yuuri's surname wrong the whole time... I guess I had katsudon on the brain? Anyway, the correct spelling will continue for the rest and I may go back and correct it later but I am quite lazy so don't get your hopes up. Review and enjoy please!_

Victor and Yuuri both jumped as the insistent ringing filled the carriage, killing the content silence stone dead as they stared at each other in panic. Maccachin gave a yelp as he was unceremoniously shaken from their laps. He sat with his head on Yuuri's knee, whining to get back up but the distressed poodle wasn't given any attention as the two men looked down at Victor's vibrating pocket like the phone was about to leap out and bite them.

Neither of them moved until Yuuri gave a nervous "Victor…", prompting his boyfriend to finally dig in his pocket for the phone and press the call button. The moment the call connected, a loud bellow filled the carriage as a gruff voice screamed angrily from the other end.

"VICTOR! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU! What are you playing at, running off and not telling us, we're all worried sick about you, we all thought you'd been abducted, don't you realise you're missing training-"

Victor winced as he held the phone up, holding it a few inches away from his ear so the volume of his father's voice didn't burst his eardrum. He could see Yuuri looking at him confused and he was suddenly very thankful that he didn't know Russian and couldn't understand the garbled shouting. As the rink was so international, most of the skaters spoke English to each other and so Yuuri and his friends from other countries hadn't grasped much of the native tongue.

"Papa…" He answered, cutting Yakov off in mid-rant. "Listen, I'm fine! I haven't been abducted at all, I'm doing this of my own free will!" He ran his hand through his fringe, ruffling it into a mess as Yuuri looked more and more anxious with each word. "I'm just taking a short break, I'll be back in a week, you don't need to worry about me!"

"A break!?" Yakov shouted, making both men wince at the new rage in his voice. "You can't afford a break now! The Grand Prix starts in a matter of weeks and you need to be on top form if you're going to win your third title…"

"It's OK, I'm going to still be training," Victor answered, unable to look round at Yuuri's concerned expression. This conversation was not going how he had planned. "I have Yuuri here with me so-"

"You WHAT?!" Yakov nearly screamed on the other side of the phone, making it almost jump from Victor's hand and Yuuri looked startled at the reaction his name had gotten. He was now looking at Victor like a realisation was dawning on him and Victor could feel his eyes burning into him. Oh God, he's going to figure out I forgot to leave the note… He thought as Yakov continued to berate him. "You ran away with that no-hope?! What are you playing at?! I told you, you weren't to see him and this is what you do?! How are you supposed to train with him leaching off you?!"

"Papa, listen…" Victor tried to plead with him but his voice was washed away as Yakov refused to stop.

"Enough with this nonsense Victor! I want you back home immediately! Where even are you?!"

"Papa…" Victor again tried to argue but he could already feel himself deflating; as he had thought, there was just no reasoning with Yakov when he was like this. He was trying to think of something to say, some way of charming his father to see his point of view but nothing was coming to him.

He had just opened his mouth to try and plead again when suddenly, a gloved hand shot in front of him, palm open as he gestured to take the phone. Victor followed the arm upwards to its owner and his mouth hung open when he saw Yuuri nod for him to hand it over. His mouth was set in a firm line and his eyes issued a command that made Victor hand over the phone wordlessly. A shiver went down his spine. It was rare when Yuuri would get like this, so commanding and sure of himself, but when he did, Victor became putty in his hands. He just couldn't resist him and he knew if he hadn't been sitting down at that moment his knees would have gone weak and given out under him.

He watched as Yuuri held the phone up to his own ear and then, to his total surprise, he started speaking in flawless Russian. "Hello, is this Victor's father?" He asked, his tone surprisingly calm as it firmly halted Yakov's angry speech. "This is Yuuri Katsuki speaking."

"What?" Yakov seemed stunned for a moment, utterly shocked that Yuuri had been bold enough to come on the line with him. However, he quickly recovered and shrieked at him "What is the meaning of this?! What have you done to my son?!"

Yuuri gave a little low chuckle that sent another shudder through Victor. "I couldn't do anything with your son," He answered, once again making the other voice go silent. "You and I both know how well he follows orders. He wanted to come with me to my hometown to meet my parents and I thought it would be a good idea. That is what couples do, isn't it?"

"Couples?!" Yakov sounded close to a heart attack as the word echoed around the carriage and Victor clapped his hands over his mouth in total amazement. "What do you mean couple?! You two aren't-"

"I'm afraid we are." Yuuri said smoothly, not even sounding perplexed. "I was hoping Victor would have told you instead, he was meant to leave you a note," He turned his head and aimed a glare at Victor who gave a small squeak at the look in his brown eyes. "But it seems like he left that to me. I'm sorry about that, you know how forgetful he can be. Anyways, we have to go. See you in a week!"

Yuuri garbled out the last lines, his confidence beginning to falter and as Yakov started to yell again, he almost dropped the phone in his fumbling haste to end the call. After pressing the button, he sank back into the seat, letting out a long breath as he chucked the phone to Victor like it was a live bomb. He then covered his face with his hands and let out a long groan.

"Oh shit, oh shit, what did I just do…?" He angled his head to peer at Victor through the gaps in his fingers and scowled when he saw the Russian man was grinning madly at him. "Victor, why didn't you stop me?"

"Because that was amazing!" Victor exclaimed proudly, throwing his arms around Yuuri and displacing Maccachin again who then seemed to give up and just dropped to the floor over their feet. "Nobody's ever stood up to him like that before! Didn't you hear him, he was speechless! And you speaking Russian like that…" He purred into his ear, making Yuuri twitch as he felt his warm breath there. "It was super sexy Yuuri. Where did you learn to speak like that?"

He could see Yuuri flush crimson again as he gave his answer through his fingers. "I took some classes with Phichit and he helped me find an online course. We both thought, since we are living here, we might as well learn the language." He then blushed even more as his fingers closed up even tighter. "And I thought it would be nice if I could speak your language to you rather than just in English all the time."

"Oh Yuuri!" Victor gushed, hugging him even tighter as he beamed at him. "That's so sweet of you! You are just too cute!"

"Victor! You can't get out of this that easily!" Yuuri promptly pushed his way out of his boyfriend's embrace, fixing him with a glare to show he wasn't messing around. "Don't you realise what just happened? Your entire family now thinks I stole you away from them and your father's going to be after my blood!"

"Well, you did steal my heart…" Victor replied with a teasing smile but he instantly dropped when Yuuri gave him another scowl. He really was mad.

"This isn't funny!" He snapped, sounding more pissed off than Victor had ever heard him sound before. "I told you so many times not to forget that note! Now they're really going to hate me! They already think I'm just here because you're Victor Nikiforov! Urgh, I can't believe this!"

He gave a long groan again as he ran his hands through his hair, messing it up even further as Victor sat there dumbly. His arms were still raised like he was about to hug him but he held back from it, thinking it would only enrage him further. He had no idea what to do in a situation like this. He was so happy and bubbly all the time, he just didn't know how to react when somebody was upset or cross like this, especially when it was directed at him. "I'm sorry Yuuri," He finally said, his voice small against the rattling of the metal cage around them. "I really am."

Yuuri looked over at him, his face a little softer though he still looked mad. "I know."

Victor reached out and took his hand, not daring to do anymore as they both stared straight ahead. They didn't speak for the rest of the journey.

OOO

They made it to their hotel for the night late that evening. The sky was rippled with the blood red of sunset as they finally checked in, Yuuri taking both of their suitcases as Victor went to collect their room key. They were both silent as they rode the lift to one of the upper floors with Maccachin bouncing around their feet, the air around them still a little tense as Victor keep shooting worried looks at Yuuri. Their conversations all day had been short and curt, partly due to the events of the morning but also, he knew they were both tired. They had spent the whole day travelling, first on the train, then taking various buses and trams until they reached their hotel.

Thankfully, Victor had found one that was located right next to the airport so they wouldn't have to go far in the morning to catch their flight to Japan. Because they were now on the coast, it also meant their flight wouldn't be too long and they would both be in Japan by tomorrow afternoon. The thought made Victor smile. Now that they were finally on the road, he felt excited at the thought of seeing where Yuuri grew up and experiencing it all. He had already looked up several spots where he could take some good selfies and he was desperate to try some authentic katsudon. Yuuri had made him some one day whilst they had been making their plans and he had thought it was delicious but Yuuri had said it was nothing compared to his mother's. That had only made Victor even more eager for the trip.

They found their room without any hassle at the end of a long corridor and gratefully fell inside. The room was simple and clean, a large double bed sitting squarely in the centre with a wardrobe and chest of drawers against the wall opposite it and the door to the small bathroom on the right. Yuuri went a little pink when he saw the sprawling bed but Victor didn't see it as he went to close the dark green curtains over the window and turn on the table lamp by the bed.

"You use the bathroom first," He addressed Yuuri, making him jump a little as he was lost in thought. "I'll start unpacking."

"You sure?" Yuuri asked but Victor was already ushering him towards the bathroom and handing him a towel.

"I insist. Besides, I need you to test the water for me."

He gave another teasing smile as Yuuri rolled his eyes and swiped the towel from him before he walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He could hear Victor humming outside as he opened their cases and found their night things and he gave a small smile before he stepped under the rush of water. He was pleased to find the water was blissfully warm and he groaned happily as it ran over his tired limbs, washing away the grime and musty air of all the public transport they had been on all day. He had hated the smell of some of the buses they had been on; they had reeked of cigarette smoke and days-old greasy food. He would have usually burrowed into Victor and inhaled his smell instead but he still felt uneasy about showing any public affection and he was still annoyed at him so that had regretfully ruled out that option.

He washed his hair and body with the hotel soaps he found and quickly dried himself so Victor could take his turn. "Could you pass me some clothes?" he called through the door and after a minute, it opened a crack and a slender pale hand passed him a pair of black boxers. Yuuri sighed. "And the rest of them!" He giggled when he heard Victor curse on the other side of the door before he, somewhat reluctantly, passed him the grey t-shirt and dark green sweatpants he wore as pyjamas. He slipped them on, shivered a little as the cool fabric hit his skin before he opened the door and stepped out.

"Bathroom's free." He announced, making Victor look up from the bed where he was setting out some clothes for them to wear tomorrow. He had already set out Maccachin's dog bed in the corner and the poodle was already curled up on it, happily sleeping under the blanket Victor had tucked him in with. "I'll finish this up."

"OK." Victor smiled, feeling slightly pleased at how domestic the scene was; they were acting like a couple who had been on holiday with each other a million times before. He waltzed past him as he grabbed a towel, disappearing into the bathroom and stripping before the door was fully closed with a sly look in his eyes that he directed over his shoulder at a flustered Yuuri.

"Victor!" Yuuri huffed, almost slamming it shut and hearing Victor laughing on the other side. He shook his head slightly at his antics as he started to move the clothes over to the chest of drawers, sorting out what they would need for the morning so they would only need to get dressed and go. The task was completed in only a few minutes and once it was done, Yuuri collapsed onto the bed, feeling himself sink into the mattress as he finally allowed himself to relax. He could just about hear the running of the water over Victor humming in the shower and he smiled almost dizzily. He was really here with Victor. They were really going to Japan together. It all hit him at once again and he had to cover his face again as he felt overwhelmed. Just being with Victor sometimes, having him kiss and touch him felt unreal; now that they were here, alone together, it felt like a dream he was going to wake up from at any second. The pleasure of having Victor all to himself for a week with no need to hide made him more excited than he could ever have imagined but coupled with his usual anxiety and now the looming threat of Victor's father potentially planning to murder him, it all just felt like too much.

He buried his face in the covers with a low moan. How had he got himself in this mess again?

The fact that he was with Victor Nikiforov, the Victor Nikiforov, still sometimes felt like a fantasy. When they had kissed for the first time, both of them lying on the ice with the coldness seeping into their bones, he had kept his eyes open as if he was making sure he didn't disappear in a puff of smoke. Victor hadn't seen, his own eyes closed in pure bliss as he had kissed Yuuri breathless and when he had pulled away, about to stammer an apology, Yuuri had been so desperate to stop him that he had kissed him back, forcing those lips back to his in a way that was completely out of character but had still felt so right. Their mutual attraction to each other had then been confirmed on the ice but Yuuri still even now got anxious about waking up one morning to find Victor gone. Deep down, he knew it wouldn't happen, Victor was always reassuring him of that with his short sweet kisses and the lingering touches to his face and hands that lasted way longer than it should, but he still felt it, like he was subconsciously setting himself up for a betrayal. That was something he couldn't help; he always seemed to be setting himself up for failure.

He could remember being nine years old, hanging out with his friend Yuuko, his longest and really his only friend from his childhood. Funnily enough, it had been skating that had gifted him his first friend; they had met at the rink where Yuuko's parents worked and grown close after the feisty eleven-year-old had defended him from a group of older boys. He had only skated for fun then, he spent more time working on his ballet at that point in his lie and he had often imagined that if he hadn't gone into competitive skating, he would have ended up a dancer. But then one day, Yuuko had dragged him to the rink and the back room where her parents and put a TV and it was there were the two of them had watched their first Junior Championships, staring wide-eyed at the screen enraptured by the performances. Yuuri had already been spellbound by it but then a slim, silver-haired boy had taken his position on the ice and time seemed to stop as Yuuri lost all focus on the world around him.

The boy had moved like a melody; his arms and legs followed the music like an avid worshipper and with his long silver hair flowing behind him like a veil, he almost looked like a nymph as he flew across the ice. Yuuri had been unable to stop watching, even when Yuuko screamed and babbled next to him, and when the boy had won and been crowned with a garland of flowers, blue to match his cornflower eyes, Yuuri decided he would one day glide on the ice alongside him.

He took his skating more seriously after that, going to the rink every day and using his ballet training on the ice to give him an edge. He quickly got noticed and by the time he was fourteen, he too was competing and moved to Detroit which was where he met his skating best friend Phichit. His idol remained Victor all through his career; he had even covered his walls with his posters though that memory now made him cringe. Then at eighteen, he had gotten his big chance; he had made it to the Grand Prix final, he was going to compete against Victor, Phichit and his family were all supporting him back home… everything was going perfectly.

And then he had blown it.

His nerves had gotten the better of him and he had spent the day before the final began panicking. He had tried to calm himself down by eating but that had only made him feel bloated and then when he had tried to sleep, he had been called by his parents who told him his beloved toy poodle Vicchan had died. He had spent the night sobbing into his pillow and the following day, he fell more times than he could count. He could remember the burning embarrassment standing on the ice after his pitiful performance and he had gone to cry in the toilets afterwards. To no one's surprise, he came dead last. He had never felt more humiliated in his life and at the following banquet, he had been too upset to talk to anyone and had hoped he could just hide in the corner, drinking champagne until he forgot everything.

Well, he guessed that had somehow happened.

He could remember nothing of the banquet night but from what little he had heard, the last thing he had done was hide in the corner. He really should have known, he thought, he had seen his father raging drunk enough times to know he had the potential to go overboard when drunk but at the time he just hadn't been thinking. Still, he was thankful for one thing; Victor had since told him that was the night he had first fallen for him and the idea that he, a dime-a-dozen skater from Japan, had seduced the great Russian legend, still seemed baffling to him. He smiled into the sheets. He wasn't going to start complaining about it though.

It was his best friend Phichit who had nudged him back into skating. He had been seriously thinking about quitting altogether until the Thai boy had firmly stepped in. Through a combination of persuading, bribing, threatening and occasionally downright begging, he had not only made Yuuri continue skating but had also encouraged him to find a new rink to practise at, one with less memories and distractions. He was certain now that he had planned this all along; Phichit may look innocent but when he wanted something to happen, he would do anything to ensure it did. That day when they had turned up at the rink for the first time, only to witness Victor in the middle of his training had felt mortifying to him. He had stood like a statue by the edge of the rink, watching as the man moved, lost in the music and removed from everything around him. Yuuri could have watched him all day but then he and Phichit had been spotted, Victor's trance had been broken and he had looked over at him… and the rest had now become history.

Over the past year, his image of Victor as his idol as changed significantly. He still looked up to him but Victor was no longer that ethereal nymph that had seemed to come from another world. He had fleshed out as Yuuri had uncovered more and more of his personality. Yes, Victor Nikiforov could be beautiful and tender and affectionate but he could also be childish, dramatic, full of energy that never seemed to end and it was clear he was used to being the favourite child though Yuuri wouldn't go as far to say he had been spoilt. His plaster-cast version of the man had been completely shattered but he was happier for it; from those fragments, a man had emerged who was still the most amazing person Yuuri had ever known and the fact that he loved Yuuri as much as Yuuri loved him still sent a shiver of joy through him when he thought about it.

That was why he had wanted Victor to come to Japan and meet his family, to prove how serious they were, Yuuri thought as he shot a quick glance at the bathroom door. He could still hear the shower going as he sat up and reached for his overnight bag that he had put on the chest of drawers. He dragged it across the sheets before he sat it on his lap, finding the zip on the tiny side pocket and pulling it open slowly so it wouldn't disturb the sleeping Maccachin and make him run over to see what it was. He held his breath as he opened up the little secret pocket but he let it out again in relief when he saw a glimmer of gold from the black depths. He had another motive for bringing Victor to come to Japan. He wanted to officially make him his.

The thought made him blush deep red as he took out the golden ring and sat it on his open palm. He had deliberately gone as far out into St Petersburg as he possibly could to avoid being spotted by anyone he knew and his face had been lobster-coloured for the entire time he was in the small shop. Thankfully, the old lady behind the counter, who had welcomed him eagerly into her shop almost as if she knew exactly what he had come for, had been very helpful and he had left with a ring he knew was perfect. The shining metal felt cool on his skin and he smiled when he pictured it gleaming on Victor's hand. He wanted to show Victor how much he meant to him and if they could go back to Russia engaged, maybe his family would see that. The question was, he didn't know how Victor would react. He had always been the one to steer their relationship and Yuuri had been his obedient follower, only stopping to put the brakes on when he thought they were going too fast. Would he see this as too soon? Would he resent Yuuri trying to take control? More questions only fuelled the unease in his stomach but he tried hard not to listen to his doubts, instead focusing his attention back on the gold ring. He was going to make his proposal so perfect Victor would have to say yes. The only question was how…

He heard a creaking as the bathroom door opened and Yuuri almost jumped off the bed as he raced to hide the ring, clutching his fingers around it as he hid it behind his back and turned to the door.

"Yuuri?" Victor's voice called out as he opened the door, allowing the warm steam to escape and caress Yuuri's face. He was dressed in just a towel which he had tied in a knot around his waist, leaving his sculpted torso exposed. The sight of Victor's half-naked body would usually have been enough to have Yuuri blushing and stammering as he averted his eyes but in that moment, he was too focused to keeping the ring hidden that he almost forgot to be flustered. "Is everything OK?"

"Yes, everything's fine!" Yuuri blurted out a little too quickly as he bent down to put his bag on the floor, quickly placing the ring back in its pocket and shoving the bag under his bed before Victor could see it. He straightened back up with a hidden sigh of relief only to see Victor was staring at him with a dejected look on his face.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" He asked, sitting tentatively on the edge of the bed opposite Yuuri so the pair of them were twisting their bodies to look at each other. He leaned in, hoping for a kiss and Yuuri gave a small sigh.

"I'm not mad at you Victor," He answered, pecking at the corner of Victor's mouth and smiling a little at how his eyes lit up. "I'm just worried, that's all. Your family thinks I've kidnapped you and they're really going to be furious with me when we get back." He lowered his head, staring down at the sheets as he crumpled them in his tight fists. "I'm scared they're never going to accept me now, your father especially. He's always going to think I'm unworthy of you and-"

"You worry too much Yuuri," Victor cut cleanly over his ramblings as he felt cool fingers underneath his chin. They guided him to look back up into his crystal blue eyes before his thumb ran soothingly over his cheek, cool against the heated pink skin. "Everything will be fine. I'm certain they will come to love you just as much as I do. They just need some time to get used to it."

Yuuri chuckled a little. "I think they might need all the time in the world for that Victor."

"That's OK," Victor replied, edging closer and closer to Yuuri until their noses were brushing against each other. "You're worth the wait."

Their lips met in what was now a familiar dance, moving languidly against each other as they savoured the moment. It almost felt strange that they could relax into it, not having to keep an ear out for anyone wandering the rink. Usually they could only steal kisses in corners or lingeringly touch when out of sight at their evening practises; this time together was a luxury they had never had before and both of them were determined to use it.

Victor crawled over the bed to get closer to Yuuri, never breaking the contact of their mouths as the towel around his waist came undone and slipped from his damp skin to the floor. It laid there, crumpled and forgotten as the Russian wrapped his arms around Yuuri, angling his head and moaning when he felt Yuuri's fingers gently run through his hair, tugging at the slick strands that slid through his fingers like silk. He gently pushed Yuuri back, following him down until his head hit the pillow before climbing over him and momentarily pulling his head back. Yuuri's eyes opened and for a second, both of them were incredibly aware of the fact Victor was lying on top of him without a stitch of clothing to cover his clear arousal. It felt so strange, Victor moved to climb off him but at once, Yuuri pulled him back down, almost bruising his mouth with the force of his kisses.

"Please," He whispered against his skin as his strong arms held him there. "I… don't want to stop now… please?"

His voice almost nervously broke on the last word and Victor knew he couldn't deny him. Their mouths moved more passionately as Yuuri' hands trailed from his hair down Victor's body and Victor dragged his fingers under the hem of Yuuri's t-shirt, pushing it up to his chest and making the grey fabric bunch under his chin. For a few minutes, they kissed on autopilot as they explored each other's bodies, mapping out every dip and smooth curve, as well as every spot that made the other gasp or grit their teeth.

"Yuuri…" Victor moaned as he moved his lips down to Yuuri's neck and shoulders, almost ripping the t-shirt there in his haste to remove the barrier that was keeping him from his love. Once it was gone and thrown across the room, he nipped and sucked at every inch of soft skin he could see, grinning as red marks bloomed on the pale canvas and Yuuri threw his head back to give him more access. "Yuuri…"

"Victor…" Yuuri's voice was so soft and husky, Victor wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been so close and his tone almost made him growl. "I want you… to…" He covered his mouth with his hand before he could finish, going red as Victor lifted his head and tried to peel it away.

"Oh no you don't my little katsudon," He purred, succeeding in dragging Yuuri's hand away before he started to kiss at the pad of each finger, murmuring all the sweet pet names he could think of with each gentle press. "Сахарок, Слоненок, дорогой…"

He could see Yuuri getting redder with each word and he hid a devious smile behind his fingers as he kissed them once more. He knew Yuuri liked hearing him speak Russian and he had used that fact to full advantage many times in the past; it had always worked to get Yuuri to do anything he wanted. He could already see the man breaking as he writhed under him, making Victor swallow a moan as he brushed his groin and sent pleasure shooting up his spine. He leaned in over him, his eyes gleaming turquoise and looking luminous in the paltry light from the bedside lamp and the faint glow from the bathroom where the light snuck in from the door.

"What do you want from me Yuuri?"

"I…" Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a quick gasp of breath before he blurted out what he wanted. "I want you to… make love to me Vitya!"

He opened his eyes and would have gone to cover his mouth again but Victor had beaten him to it, raining kisses down on his face like he was a dying man and Yuuri was his salvation. It took Yuuri a moment to get over his shock and reciprocate but when he did, they both moaned as their tongues lapped at each other, moving in a frenzy as they both felt themselves loose the careful control they had had to build around themselves for so long.

"Yuuri… you're going to be the death of me," Victor gasped out when they both pulled back for air, his breaths thick and heavy and his blue eyes clouded. He looked into Yuuri's and saw the brown of his irises looked ablaze with desire, leaving him with no doubt to what he wanted, though he still asked as he pulled his sweatpants down his muscular legs and let a finger tease at the seam of his ass.

"Are you sure about this Yuuri?"

He gasped again as Yuuri's arms clamped around his neck, smashing their foreheads together with a jolt and a cracking sound that echoed through the room. It also jerked Victor's arm, making him probe a finger at Yuuri's entrance and causing a moan to slip from the Japanese skater's lips as he pressed himself closer to Victor.

"I'm sure Victor," Yuuri close to growled, his tone alone making Victor's head feel lighter. "I want you to take me. Please?"

The question, coupled with the little innocent look Yuuri tilts at him through dipped eyelashes would have felled even a strong man and in that moment, Victor was anything but strong. Already feeling weak, Victor dived for another kiss as he stretched him, soaking up Yuuri's moans and hitched breaths like they were water on his parched throat. He worked at Yuuri until he was thrusting three fingers inside him and Yuuri was grinding down on him, making their oozing cocks rub against each other.

Victor pulled them out and had to chuckle at the cross pouting look Yuuri shot at him. "Patient much." He smiled at him as he freed himself from the man's grip and leaned back to search for the condoms and lube he had packed. He had brought them a while back but he hadn't thought he would get the opportunity to use them this early on their break. Still he wasn't complaining. He sat back between Yuuri's legs and he could feel the brown eyes devouring him as he tore the condom packet with his teeth and warmed a blob of the liquid in his palms. He rubbed it over himself, hissing at the feeling on his so far neglected shaft before he pulled Yuuri closer so the tip was pressing at his entrance.

"Yuuri…" He panted out in what was meant to be a warning but his boyfriend had already taken matters into his own hands. With both his heels placed firmly on Victor's ass cheeks, he kicked his legs to force him inside, almost taking his entire shaft inside in one snap. Both of them loudly groaned before Yuuri sat up in an astonished Victor's lap, using his body to hold himself up. He looked down at him with a small smirk on his face, taking a moment to brush Victor's silver hair from his eyes before he whispered in his ear, his voice low and seductive.

"I don't want you to tease me Victor. Like you said, I'm not a patient man." He smiled as he could feel Victor trembling beneath him, sweat pooling on his forehead with the effort of keeping his composure. "I'm also not made of glass Victor." His voice dropped another octave and got darker, giving Victor the feeling that the darkest bitterest chocolate was being poured into his ear. "Take. Me. Now."

Something snapped inside of Victor as he threw both of them forwards, sending Yuuri toppling back onto the bed as he grabbed his wrists and held them prisoner above his head. "I knew you could do Eros, Yuuri…" Victor whispered, still grinning as he started a steady rhythm with his hips. "What did I tell you?"

Yuuri let out a long moan that would have liquefied Victor bones if he had been standing before he gave him an annoyed look. "Will you stop talking and get on with it?"

Victor didn't need telling twice. He started pounding harder and harder into Yuuri, both of them panting as their sweaty bodies slid against each other. Victor's hold on Yuuri's wrists didn't last long and Yuuri once again caught Victor's head in a vice-like grip and held him close, both helplessly muttering in their native languages as they got closer to their climaxes. The garbled Russian and Japanese mixed in their mouths as their lips lazily slipped over each other, barely kissing as they felt pressure build up inside them, threatening to explode. Victor's thrusts became harder and more erratic as they both edged closer to release, both on the brink on losing it.

In the end, it was Yuuri who came first after a hard thrust that hit directly on his prostate and made him see stars. He let out a loud cry before lowered his head onto Victor's shoulder and, without any warning, sunk his teeth into the skin as he rode out his orgasm. The sharp shock of the pain with the intense pleasure of Yuuri tightening around him sent Victor spiralling over the edge as well, causing him to give a low moan as he shallowly thrusted in the burst of ecstasy he felt spasming through his body. They both collapsed onto their sides, still clinging to each other as they fought to caught their breaths and relax their abused lungs. For a moment, the only sounds that echoed through the hotel room were their long laboured gasps but they soon relaxed and they found themselves staring at each other with sappy smiles on their faces. Victor gave a small giggle, trying to hide it behind his hand but Yuuri noticed it and pulled it back from his mouth with a quizzical expression.

"What?"

"It's nothing." Victor insisted, using his thumb to rub away the concerned creases on his face. "It's just… we just had sex Yuuri."

"Yeah we did." Yuuri could feel his cheeks going pink as it dawned on him too and suddenly both of them were giggling like teenage girls as they cuddled closer. "Oh god, I just had sex with Victor Nikiforov!" He went to laugh again but then he spotted the red teeth marks he had left embedded in Victor's shoulder and gave a high-pitched squeak that made Maccachin lift his head up from his bed in the corner. "Oh shit, I bit you! I'm so sorry-"

Victor quickly stopped his apology with a kiss, grinning manically as he drew back. "Don't be," He said mischievously. "I quite liked it."

He winked and that finished Yuuri off completely. "Victor…" He groaned as he buried his head in Victor's chest, feeling the man's belly laugh rumble through him. "We need to go to sleep. We have a flight to catch tomorrow!"

"But it's not until later…" Victor protested but Yuuri used his own trick against him as he reached up and pecked his lips.

"Sleep." He ordered, wrapping the sheets around their bodies like he was trying to imprison them both before he curled his head into Victor's neck. The Russian could feel the purr of contentment he gave as Yuuri started to fall asleep and he curled his arms around him, the sticky mess covering them both forgotten as they fell into a deep satisfied sleep.

 _Сахарок/sakharok= sugar_

 _Слоненок/slonenok= little elephant (I think this one is adorable)_

 _Дорогой/dorogoy= darling_


	4. Chapter 4

_Welcome to the next chapter! This one I hope gives more of an insight into Yakov, I do feel sorry for the man having to deal with those four... Please enjoy and review maybe?_

"How much longer are we going to be stuck in this fucking flying tin can?!"

"Yurio, stop swearing! There are kids around!"

"MY NAME IS NOT YURIO YOU HAG!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Hey Papa, can we order some food?"

"How can you think of food when our poor Victor is lost out there, trapped in the throes of a love not meant to be? Fate is too cruel for you Victor!"

"Will you shut up with your emo shit and move your legs?! I have no room here!"

Yakov hissed through gritted teeth. He didn't want to turn his head and open his eyes to the chaos that was unfurling in the row of seats beside him but as the parent responsible for the crazed teenagers making all the noise, he felt obliged to. Giving a silent apology to all the other passengers on the plane who would have to endure them on this flight, he angled his head and gave a barking cough to silence the three of them.

"Can you three at least try to restrain yourselves?" He hissed lowly as they all froze in place. They were sitting in a row of four somewhere around the middle of the plane; Yakov could just see the tip of the silver plane wing out of the window he was sitting quite a way from. He had taken the aisle seat, just in case he needed to make a quick getaway from his unruly brood though he had also considered it a good way to stop them from escaping him and causing more havoc. There were times when he honestly believed his children hadn't aged a day from when he had adopted them and as he looked at the tableau in front of him, that statement had never seemed truer.

Georgi was sitting next to him, entangled in a fight with Yuri as the two fought for more space to fit their long toned legs. They were on the verge of wrestling with Yuri holding his hands around his older brother's neck and Georgi flailing his arms out in a poor attempt to free himself from the tiny blonde's angry clutches. The dark-haired man was attracted a lot of stares from the people around them and not just because he was clearly losing to his scrap of a brother. Back at the house in the period just after the disastrous phone call, when Yakov had been furiously booking them plane tickets and Mila and Yuri had been frantically packing, Georgi had gone to 'get himself ready' and the result of his labouring in the bathroom for an hour was eye-catching to say the least. His skin had been covered in a layer of chalky white powder that made his skin even paler than usual, his eyes were ringed with thick purple eyeliner and his lips were now a light blue that made him look like he had hypothermia. His hair had been slicked into an even sharper point and he was dressed in a black tracksuit edged with purple and navy frills in the shape of spikes. His appearance had stunned Yakov into silence when he had first seen him emerge and now it just made him want to hide his face behind his hands, especially when he had declared quite loudly in the airport terminal that he was 'in mourning for the love that they all were about to extinguish.' I thought emo phases were supposed to happen to teen boys not grown men, he thought. Well at least he isn't on his phone right now. That has to count for something.

Mila was sat by the window, a gleeful look on her face as she leafed through the in-flight magazine, scanning over the duty-free items like she was trying to calculate how much of it she could carry home. Yakov knew she was looking so smug because she had fought both her brothers off to earn the window seat and she kept shooting them both triumphant looks as she snuggled deeper into her prize. However, the target she wanted to wind up wasn't even looking at her; Yuri was too busy and spitting and clawing at Georgi to pay any attention to his sister, acting like a wildcat as he demanded more space than his spindly legs actually needed. All Yuri had done since they had left the house for the airport was swear and complain, moaning about how they were missing practise and how stupid it was that they were going to rescue Victor when clearly, he didn't need saving.

"You heard him on the phone, he wanted to go with the stupid pig!" He had kept saying, even as they were boarding the plane. "If he wants to go and rut with him for a week, so what?! It's his chance at a third gold medal he's risking, not anyone else's! Why does my training have to suffer because of it?!"

At that point, Yakov had asked him if he wanted to stay behind; he had given the three of them the chance to stay back at home and carry on with their practise without him. He had mentioned that it wouldn't be fair to drag them across their giant country just because their brother had done something stupid but their reaction had been loud and instantaneous. Georgi and Mila had insisted on coming along, stating that Victor would be more likely to listen to all of them over just Yakov, simply because, as Mila put it, "Victor has a tendency to ignore you sometimes Papa. But he can't ignore all of us!" After that, Yuri had agreed to come too, punching away his brother and sister when they tried to hug him as he yelled that the only reason he was coming was because he didn't want to be stuck at the rink without a coach. Yakov had smiled privately at that. Yuri may like to pretend he was as hard as nails and as sharp as broken glass but inside, he was really just a kitten.

"That's better." He told the three of them as they continued to stare at him silently. "Now get your hands off each other and stop fighting. Yuri, you have plenty of room so stop scowling. Your legs aren't that long. Georgi, stop pouting like that, you are not a duck. Mila, don't even think about it, I'm not dragging ten tonnes of perfume and vodka around the place."

"But have you seen some of this stuff?" Mila stretched out of her seat and held out the magazine, nearly squashing a hissing Yuri in the process. She flapped the pages in his general direction, the glossy pictures blurring in her enthusiasum. "It's all so nice, you can't get half of this back home!"

"It's all overpriced junk anyway." Yakov shook it away as she giggled and returned to her seat, swatting at Yuri when he punched her arm.

"That was for squishing me." He snarled at her. Mila only stuck her tongue out as a response before she went back to her magazine. He then turned to Yakov, still with a grumpy look on his face. "So Papa, once this stupid plane lands, what are we going to do? Do we have a plan or something?"

"Of course!" Mila burst in before Yakov could even open his mouth. "The plan is to find Victor, knock some sense into him and then bring him back home to St Petersburg. Easy as pie!"

"Will it be that easy though?" Yuri asked, doubt lacing his voice. "If he went with the katsudon, I don't think he'll want to come back. The idiot sounded infatuated if you ask me."

"That is true, the heart wants what it wants after all." Georgi replied poetically before he gave his brother a strange look. "Wait, what did you just call him?"

"Call who?"

"You just called the other Yuuri a katsudon."

"I did not!"

"You did Yuri, I heard you." Mila stepped into the conversation, looking at her brother curiously. Under the gazes of both of his siblings, Yuri looked flummoxed for a minute before he went defensive.

"So what?!" He spat out, folding his arms across his chest. "I've heard people calling him that down the rink, he talks about it a lot too! I think it's some kind of food, that would explain why he looks so much like a fucking pig!"

"Yuri! Language!" Yakov reprimanded him again and Yuri fell silent, though he seemed glad of the distraction as the other two both forgot about him and looked over at their father. "This is the plan. We know Victor and Yuuri Katsuki took an all-day train to get to Vladivostok where they will spend the night and then catch a flight to Japan tomorrow morning. This much we know for certain, thanks to Yuri."

The boy snorted. When they had found Victor gone that morning, his first port of call had been Victor's laptop which he had left behind. After Yakov had unsuccessfully tried to get his location from their phone conversation, he had hacked into the laptop by guessing at Victor's password. He had tried several times with things like 'ice-skating', 'Maccachin' and many others including their own names but he had finally struck gold when he had typed in the nickname of the man he had run away with. After his success with 'Katsudon', it had been easy for him for find the details of the train he had taken, the tickets he had booked for the flight to Japan and the name of the hotel they were staying at; it seemed Victor had forgotten to log himself out of the sites and left a very easy trail to follow.

"If he's taking the train, he should arrive in Vladivostok at some point this evening. This plane should take us only a few hours so we'll be there by nightfall. Then, all we need to do is find the hotel and talk him out of this folly before he even sets foot on that plane."

He gave a firm nod and that appeared to be the end of the discussion. The three of them fell into an easy silence, Mila still flicking through the magazine whilst Yuri plugged in his headphones and put them over his ears and Georgi took out his pocket mirror to check his make-up. Yakov let out a sigh and rubbed at his temple as he leant back in the padded seat and closed his eyes. He thought about trying to take a nap but his mind felt too full for that. His worry for Victor and desire to see him safely back home was at the forefront of his mind and he felt like whenever he drifted off to something else, the image of Victor smiling in front of him would appear and he would hear his bubbling laughter. That would put him back on course; they had to reach Victor before he got to Japan. They could not fail.

I should have stopped this sooner, he thought, feeling the sting of guilt and regret when a memory of Victor sailing across the ice swam before him. If I had paid more attention, if I had asked the right questions, maybe he wouldn't be in this mess. He suddenly saw an image of Yuuri Katsuki's face before him, his lips pulled in a smirk as he wrapped his arms around his son's neck and his hands curled into fists. That was not going to happen, Yakov silently vowed as he felt his nails dig into the skin of his palm. He wouldn't allow his greatest fear to become real and let that man seduce and toy with his son.

He had known Yuuri Katsuki was a player from the start; he only had to see him at the banquet to prove it. Before he hadn't thought much of the boy; true he had talent and his step sequences were at a very high level but his jumps weren't polished and he became a mess under pressure. He had almost felt sorry for him when he had come last but that had changed when he had seen him at the banquet. The innocent façade had been stripped away, lost almost as quickly as his clothes as he had moved on the dancefloor like a man possessed. He had swung his hips and arms like a dancing temptress, swaying on his feet like a cobra with his eyes burning like fire. He had seen a glimpse of those eyes and they had struck him to his very soul; those eyes had been pouring with a fiery heat that threatened to burn anyone that got too close to the flames and Yakov had known then that this man was dangerous. He could appear so innocent and naïve yet he had controlled the room like a puppet master, entrancing the audience so well they didn't even feel the strings when he tugged on them.

He had known his son had lost his heart to him that night. He had seen Victor as he stared at him, his eyes wide and his mouth open like Yuuri was casting a spell and he was bewitched. He had seen the way his son had run onto the dancefloor when he had beckoned, almost stumbling over his legs like a young colt learning to walk for the first time. He had seen how they had danced together, Yakov getting nowhere near them as the dancers around them had formed a thick blockade, Victor grinning as Yuuri had whirled him around and dipped him in a mad tango that left them both speechless, panting in each other's arms like they had been making love on the dancefloor. Yuuri's hands had been everywhere on Victor's body, holding him close as they danced and it had made Yakov want to rip his arms off. When he had finally prised Victor away and dragged him forcefully to his hotel room, all he had babbled about was Yuuri and how amazing he was and the besotted look on his face had felt like a punch in Yakov's stomach. He hadn't had the heart that night to tell Victor what Yuuri really was, a seducing playboy clearly out for a night of fun. He now wished he had.

When they had gone back to Russia after the Grand Prix finals, Yuuri Katsuki seemed to have dropped off the map and Yakov couldn't have been happier; now Victor could be given a chance to move on and then find someone more worthy of his affections, a nice Russian girl maybe. However, all his hopes of that had been dashed when the Japanese skater had one day shown up at the rink. He had put his innocent disguise back on, pretending to hide when he was spotted but Yakov had seen through that in a second. He had noticed the way those brown eyes had sought out Victor on the ice, staring at him like he was pinning him down and undressing him in his head. It was clear now to him that it was at that moment when Yuuri had made Victor his target- and that moment when Victor had raced off the ice to follow him was the telling sign that he had fallen far deeper than Yakov had thought. It had only gotten worse when they started training together; Yakov had been ready to punch the dark-haired man's face in when he had walked into that morning practise to see them there.

His plan to be rid of the Katsuki boy was simple; whenever they were training, he had watched both him and Victor with a keen eye, making sure they went nowhere near each other when he was by the rink. At home, no mention of his name was tolerated. If Victor even tried to talk about him, Yakov would bluntly interject, either with an entirely new subject or an insult to the Japanese skater. He had seen in Yuuri's predatory eyes what he wanted. He wanted Victor not just as a plaything but as a fuel too; he wanted to use Victor to make himself a better skater and to reveal in some pleasure to boot. He suddenly thought of Yuuri leaning over his son, his lips smirking on his and hands running over him as he growled and marked him mercilessly, draining him and draining him until there was nothing left…

How dare he exploit my precious son! Yakov nearly pounded his fist into the armrest but he held himself back in time. The cause of his anger wasn't here. There was no need to take out his anger on inanimate objects.

After a while, he had thought his plan had worked. After about four months, Victor had stopped mentioning Yuuri entirely at home and, even though they still trained together, they seemed to be careful around each other, like there was something hanging around the other they were too scared to break. He had sometimes wondered why Yuuri had backed off; maybe he had found someone else to fuck, he had been close to that Thai boy… or maybe Victor had come to his senses and rejected him as a lover. Whatever it had been, he had decided to just be thankful for it. He had never even considered the idea that the pair of them were hiding a relationship from him.

He gave a small groan. The idea of Victor being in thrall to that man for so long made his skin crawl. Yuuri had been playing an even colder game from the start, he thought. He had worked to worm his way into Victor's heart, burrowing himself there until the man was so lovesick for him, he would even lie to his own family. He was so obsessed, he would give Yuuri anything he asked for and when Yuuri had it all, he would leave, probably moving onto the next man without a glance back and leave Victor broken. He tried to imagine what Victor would be like if that happened and he couldn't even begin to think of it; despite his start in life, Victor had always been so sunny. His mouth was always curved into a wide heart-shaped smile that lit up the world around him and Yakov thought of it with a fond smile. If that man dares to take Victor's smile away, he thought, his body awash with cold anger, I'll kill him with his own ice skates. No one was going to hurt his Victor or any of his children in that way, not if he could help it.

"Papa?" A soft call shook him from his murderous thoughts and he looked over at the window to see Mila's gentle blue eyes staring into his. "Are you alright? You looked like you dozed off a little but your face was so angry…"

"I'm OK my dear," He replied, giving her a smile that she instantly returned. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but he could tell it had been a while as Georgi was absorbed in some romance novel he had packed and Yuri was fast asleep, still with his headphones on. "I'm just worried for him, that's all."

She nodded. Neither of them needed to say who the he was. "Everything will be OK Papa," She told him softly, her voice carrying an edge of certainty that was reassuring to the old man. "We'll bring him home safe and sound."

Yakov nodded like they were sealing a pact and Mila suddenly went to move out of her seat. She stretched her flexible body back over her brothers again, careful not to jog Yuri as she reached out her hand. Georgi didn't seem to acknowledge the gesture but he lifted his book out of the way and Yakov could see there was a small tender smile on his face that he was sure was nothing to do with the trashy love story he was reading. Yakov smiled as he reached out too, grasping her hand and holding it tightly. She squeezed his back, the action conveying more than either of them could have said in words. It was a perfect moment- until Mila accidentally brushed against Yuri and knocked his headphones off.

The Russian teen jumped up like he had been scalded, shouting curses at the top of his lungs as he threw his arms and legs around like he was fighting off invisible attackers. He ignored the disapproving eyes of several other passengers as he jerked his head around, finally focusing his angry stare on his sister when she burst out laughing.

"What the fuck?!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing both Yakov and Georgi to wince at the volume. It didn't seem possible that so much noise could come out of something so small but Yuri's lungs seemed determined to prove them wrong. "What's going on?! What are you trying to do to me you bitch?!"

Mila was laughing too hard to give him a coherent answer. Instead she settled on giving him a hug whilst spluttering out giggly apologies. "I'm…so sorry… Yuri… hahaha… you're so cute when… you're…haha… mad…"

"Get off me hag! GET OFF!" Yuri screamed like he was being stabbed as he fought to escape his sister's embrace. Yakov sighed as he looked straight ahead, trying to look like he wasn't with the people to his right. He checked his watch and saw they had been in the air for barely an hour. He groaned into the high collar of his coat. This was going to be a long flight.

OOO

It was late at night when their plane finally landed. After hours of enduring Georgi sobbing over his romantic novels every ten minutes, Mila teasing and prodding her little brother like he was a lion in a cage and Yuri falling for it every time and filling the plane with swearing, Yakov had never been happier to see the tarmac of a runway in his life. It didn't take them long to file through the airport and find their luggage, since despite the long distance they hadn't left the country, and soon they were spilling out into the cold night air. Above them, the sky was as black as gunpowder with no traces of the stars or moon. Only the whirring sounds of the planes and the moving dots of their lights could be seen and heard among the blackness but Yakov didn't pay any attention to that as he marched away from the airport exit, his three children scurrying after him with their cases like soldiers following their general into battle. The first part of their mission was now complete- now they just needed to find the hotel.

As it was barely a ten-minute walk from the airport, it took them no time at all to find the hotel. The small family burst into the lobby, taking the exhausted receptionist who was counting down the minutes to the end of her shift by surprise as they ran to the desk like demons were on their heels.

"We need the room number of Victor Nikiforov!" Yakov barked out as he slammed both his hands on the desk, making the computer screen in front of the girl shake wildly. "Now!"

The poor girl behind the desk blinked at him. "I'm sorry Sir but we are not at liberty to give away the details of our guests…"

"This is an urgent matter!" Mila broke over her stammering, added her own hand to the surface. "We're on a rescue mission to ensure he doesn't make the biggest mistake of his life!"

"We're his family! We have his best interests at heart!" Georgi insisted, trying a different tactic by looking pleadingly at the girl but his make-up only served to make her look even more scared. She must think the circus has come to town, Yakov thought fleetingly before he set his mind back to the task at hand. "Please help us! We only seek to save his purity!"

"Will you all shut up?! We're getting nowhere!" Yuri suddenly jumped in, stalking up to the desk and jabbing a finger at her. "Listen lady, it's either you give us the room number and a room key or we're going to knock on the door of every room in this hotel until we find them. OK?"

The threat of waking up every guest in the hotel made the receptionist visibly blanch and she hurried to search through their system. "We have a Mr Nikiforov and a Mr Katsuki staying in room 12." She finally told them, handing them a key with trembling fingers. "It's on the second floor, the lifts are over there-"

"Let's go!" Yakov snapped over her as they all sprinted towards the lifts, their luggage flying behind them in their haste. Yuri stabbed at the buttons repeatedly until the lift doors opened and they all jammed themselves inside, barely giving each other room to breathe as they filled the tiny space. Georgi was only just able to press the button for the second floor and they all buzzed with impatience as the lift slowly grinded towards their destination.

Yakov felt his fingers clamp down on the handles of his bags and it was only when they were at the second floor did he realise he was grinding his teeth. He was angry but he was also terrified of what he might find once he opened the door of that hotel room. Would Yuuri Katsuki have already had his wicked way with his son? He didn't even want to think about it. They were going to bring him back, no matter what, he thought, just as the lift doors opened and they all piled out.

"We're looking for room 12!" He called out as Georgi and Mila catapulted themselves ahead, searching each door for their brother's room number. Yuri stuck behind them, glued to Yakov's side with a disgruntled and slightly worried look on his face. Yakov noticed this uncharacteristic behaviour and would have asked his son about it but he instead put it down to Yuri being tired and them all being stressed about Victor.

"Found it!" Mila crowed triumphantly from the very end of the corridor and they all charged down to meet her. Yakov took the key from Yuri and hastily jammed it in the keyhole, nearly dropping it in his rush to open the door. It suddenly gave as they all pressed into it and the four of them fell into the dark room.

"Victor?" Yakov called out hesitantly, at first unable to see anything in the darkness. Then, as his eyes adjusted, they rested their gaze on the large double bed and he felt the others gasp behind him as a surge of anger spread through him. They were too late.

Victor and Yuuri were lying there asleep under the covers, the blankets pulled up to their chests and exposing their shoulders. In the dim light, Yakov could see how Yuuri's neck and collarbone were rippled in bruises and red blotches whilst on Victor's shoulder, a clear red ridge of teeth marks was laid bare. The pair were spooning, Victor's long body curled over Yuuri's smaller one with one arm under both their heads and the other wrapped so tightly around his middle that it looked like the two of them could never be prised apart. Victor's face was buried in the back of Yuuri's head, his silver hair falling over Yuuri's own black locks, standing out like the silver moon against the night sky. Yakov heard his son mutter in his sleep as he pulled Yuuri even closer to him and he felt like he had been slapped. Victor was so clearly in love with the man he was holding but that only made Yakov's resolve harden. He would stop this before it got any further and Victor was seriously hurt.

He cleared his throat loudly, the noise much louder in the quiet room as his other children behind him had been stunned into silence by the intimate sight. It was Yuuri who stirred at the sound, mumbling as he lifted his head up and rubbed his bleary eyes.

"Maccachin? Do you need to go outside?" He said, his voice lagging and tired as he sat up a little out of Victor's embrace and reached for his glasses on the bedside table. He hooked them over his ears before he looked over at the corner where Maccachin's bed was, a confused expression on his face when he saw the poodle was sleeping undisturbed.

He then noticed the light coming from the door and when he saw who was standing in the doorframe, he gave a loud squeak, grabbing the bedsheets and pulling them up to cover his body.

"Victor!" He whispered in panic, nudging the man with his elbow as he nuzzled into his hip. "Victor! Wake up!"

"You want another round already?" Victor murmured with a chuckle as his hand reached up to stroke Yuuri's chest, making him turned completely red as Victor planted a smacking kiss on his hipbone. "My, my, Yuuri, I'm impressed with your stamina…"

"Victor no!" Yuuri almost toppled off the bed as he pushed Victor away and the silver-haired man sat up to give him an odd look. "Look!" Yuuri pointed over towards the door and Victor turned his head to see his entire family standing there. Yakov was close to growling, his hands in fists ready to punch something, Georgi was standing there open-mouthed, the make-up looking comical with his dramatic shocked expression, Mila's cheeks were pink and she looked like she was torn between averting her eyes or continuing to stare whilst Yuri just looked exasperated as he slapped a hand over his eyes with a groan.

"You two are seriously disgusting, you know that?"

His cross words seemed to shock Victor into responding as he just stared at them wide-eyed like a rabbit in headlights. Then, in a change that took everyone by surprise, he suddenly beamed at all of them, giving his family a cheery wave like they hadn't just caught him in bed naked with his secret boyfriend.

"Hello guys! What brings you here?"


	5. Chapter 5

Yuri had always known that when his brother fell in love, he was going to fall _hard_. Victor always did everything passionately and it showed in every aspect of his life. At the age of nine, he had thrown everything he had into skating and you only had to watch him on the ice to see he still loved the sport with every inch of his being. Everything he did, whether on or off the ice, was meaningful and powered with emotion, everything from choosing his dog's name to searching for that right piece of music that would propel him into first place once again. And Yuri didn't have to look very hard to see Victor had done the exact same thing when he had fallen for and then pursued Yuuri Katsuki like his life had depended on it.

Honestly, it was so obvious to him, he wondered how the rest of his stupid family hadn't seen it before.

He could clearly recall the banquet where this entire train wreck had started even though he didn't particularly want to. Most of the night had passed with him being bored out of his mind as he was fussed over by a bunch of ladies who had done nothing but pet him and coo over him like he was a creature they found at the petting zoo. He had come close to blowing his top several times, wanting to yell at them that he wasn't cute, damnit he was the Ice Tiger of Russia, but he knew he couldn't- his father would have had a fit if he had scared all these dumb society people away. So he had had to grin and bear it for what seemed like forever- and then suddenly one skater had strolled onto the dancefloor like he owned it and the night had shifted like somebody had flicked a switch and let the room lose control.

Yuri had seen the Japanese man skate earlier in the final and he could remember feeling almost disappointed as he watched him finish his routine with tears bubbling in his eyes. He could have done so much better, he had thought as he had walked away not bothering to see the dismal score. I want to see him skate with no mistakes. He had heard him later in the men's bathroom, sounding crushed as he wailed his heart out and he had wanted to pat him on the back and tell him everything would be alright. Instead, he had kicked at the door of the stall and then told him to retire in the angriest voice he could muster before stalking off. In hindsight, he was very glad that he hadn't mentioned that part to Victor- there was no telling what the man could do when he was sunk that deep.

At the banquet though, Yuuri had been a completely different man to the one who had cried in the bathroom. He exuded the confidence of a king around his subjects, a prima ballerina who knew he had the stage and his audience had been only too happy to adore him. Yuri could remember how the crowd had watched him and he too, he had to admit, had been enthralled. He had moved on that dancefloor the way he should have moved on the ice- perfectly in control, perfectly confident and perfectly in time with the beat that had thudded dully against Yuri's ears. He had been wondering whether he should tell Yuuri's coach to get him drunk before every competition when he had looked across the room and spotted Victor.

The moment he set eyes on his brother, he knew he was lost. Victor had been staring hungrily at the dancing man, his hands on the table behind him like he was resisting the urge to reach out and touch him. His frosty eyes had been alight, shimmering with a desire so strong Yuri had wondered how nobody else had picked up on how the two-time winner of the Grand Prix was lusting after the sixth-place skater. Maybe he was the only one in this family with any sense.

He had run over to Victor, telling him to stop being so disgusting and open with how much he wanted him (had he forgotten their father was somewhere in the room?) but that had only envoked the attention of the Japanese skater. He had fixed his brown eyes on Yuri and the boy had felt a chill down his spine; despite being drunk off his ass, it was clear Yuuri still remembered what Yuri had yelled at him in the bathroom and the hurt in his eyes was tempered with a sinful glee that had made Yuri wonder if he should back down.

He hadn't and look where it had gotten him.

He had been humiliated in that dance-off, his skill no match for Yuuri's even when drunk and he had had to go and sit down and drink a lot of water before his bones felt like they had stopped aching. He had been planning to ask for a rematch but it had been too late for that; Yuuri had already taken Victor and the two were dancing together like they had done it for years, laughing out loud with their faces far too close for comfort. Yuri had spotted Yakov on the other side of the ballroom, trying to get to the swinging pair but finding he was unable to push through the crowd. He had looked like he would murder Yuuri the moment he got near and Yuri had nearly laughed at the whole thing; it was like a pantomime, Yakov trying to reach them but getting thwarted each time he got near. The sight had almost been worth Victor prattling on about Yuuri for every second of the next few days. Almost.

When Yuuri had shown up at their rink in St Petersburg, Yuri had gone out of his way to treat him with derision; he called him pig whenever he addressed him, refused to go near him on the ice and at home, the merest mention of him would be enough to put him in a bad mood. He wasn't sure why he did those things. It wasn't because he hated the man, in fact far from it- he was intrigued by him, intrigued to the point where he didn't know how to act around him and so just reverted back to his angry teen persona that made people leave him alone. He just wanted to see Yuuri skate better, he wanted the potential he had seen on that dancefloor to be unleashed on the ice and that was the only way his young brain had thought of to make him.

Of course, he knew that was stupid now. But he wouldn't have seen that if Victor hadn't shown him how well Yuuri reacted to positive enforcement. And God, he wasn't sure if he had ever wanted to see that.

Victor had never been a subtle person but he had taken it to ridiculous levels in those first few weeks. Everywhere Yuuri was, he was too, draped over the shorter man like a mink shawl with his hands wandering over him like they were magnets stuck to his skin. Yuri had seen the way those hands would dip under the hem of his shirt or the elastic of his trousers and Yuuri's red face would be such a beacon, he wondered how those fools thought their mutual attraction was a secret. They couldn't have been more obvious if they were carrying neon signs for crying out loud!

Yuri had only thought they were fooling around at first- the touching had only seemed playful, more flirty than anything and he had wondered deep inside himself if Victor was only doing this to get back at their father by having his rebellious teenage years a few years too late. He had spent them all obeying Yakov's every order after all. Yuri had believed that and had been on the verge of telling Yakov what was going on right up until one day at the rink when everything had suddenly become much clearer.

It had been about six months after Yuuri had arrived at their rink and it had been closing time. Yakov and the others had been getting ready to leave, exhausted after a long day on the day. Yuri had been focusing on his new routine all day and was feeling mildly irritated as he pulled off his skates and chucked them in his bag- he still hadn't perfected the step sequences despite the fact his jumps were nearly perfect. He had looked around the changing room and seen all the other skaters putting away their gear except for a noticeable two- Victor and Yuuri had long established their evening training sessions and nobody even bothered to comment on them anymore. It still made Yuri want to growl though. Stupid Victor and his stupid katsudon, looking to outshine us… he had grumbled as he left, causing Mila to ask what had got his goat. He had snapped at her and called her an interfering old witch. It was maybe a bit harsh but nobody else understood what it was like having Mila as a sister; she knew exactly how to press his buttons and took great joy in doing so.

He had been so busy arguing with his sister that it wasn't until they were halfway home did he realise he had left his skate guards back at the rink. Cursing himself for having just thrown his skates in without them, he had been forced to turn back and retrieve them, not wanting to risk his father's wrath for blunting his skates. He had walked back to the rink and quickly made his way to the locker rooms, wanting to be in and out as swiftly as he could. The locker rooms had been eerily silent, free of all the usual clatter and loud voices of the skaters and he had found the quiet unnerving. It had been like walking into a ghost town and he hadn't liked it one bit. He had raced to find his skate guards, finding them fairly quickly abandoned on a bench and he was just about to run out of the door when he heard a loud crash from the other side of the lockers.

He froze. What was going on? The place was supposed to be closed! Was somebody breaking in? Like heck they were breaking into his rink! Careful not to make a sound, he tiptoed towards the lockers, readying himself to leap out and confront whoever was there. However, when he peeped around the corner, his mouth already open to start shouting, his enraged words died in his throat when he saw what had really caused the noise.

Victor had Yuuri up against the lockers, his body holding Yuuri captive against the cold metal of the lockers as they sloppily and desperately snogged each other like the world around them was falling apart. Yuuri's thighs were gripped tightly around Victor's waist, pinning himself in place as one of his hands clutched at Victor's hair and the other groped at his arse. Both of them were moaning as Victor's hands ran up and down Yuuri's sides, drinking the smaller man in like this was the last chance he would ever have. Yuri could feel his face going red as he watched them, seeing flickers of their tongues as their kissing got even messier. It was like they were trying to devour each other and the heat in the room was stinging his skin. He wanted to back away, his brain was screaming at him to move before they saw him but his legs felt like they had been doused in concrete and he couldn't drag his eyes away.

Then, Victor had suddenly rolled his hips, causing Yuuri to break from the kiss as he cried out and nearly banged his head on the back of the lockers. Victor cooed at him, warning him softly to be quiet before he put one hand behind his head to avoid it getting hurt and kissed him hard. His hips moved again, thrusting in a slow steady rhythm as his other hand went to his thigh and squeezed it. Yuuri became a moaning mess as his thrusts went deeper, grinding their clothed groins against each other. He pressed Victor even tighter against him, letting the silver-haired man swallow the drawn-out whispers of his own name in short shallow kisses. They moved together, their beat against the lockers getting faster and faster as Victor thrusted, both of Yuuri's arms around his neck as he forced him to look into his deep brown eyes. The icy blue never left the warm brown as they panted in sync and Yuri was amazed at the looks they were giving each other. They were looks of total adoration, like they were worshipping each other with just their eyes and it felt so intimate, Yuri wondered how he ever thought they were just playing around.

They both climaxed with a shudder, nearly collapsing on the floor as they threw their heads back with a low groan. Victor leaned into the lockers, still clinging to Yuuri as he buried his face in his shoulder and held him up. Yuri could see how the Japanese skater was shaking but he still wrapped his arms gently around Victor and stroked his hair until both their breathing patterns had evened out. He then lightly pulled his head back and let his forehead rest on his own, smiling contentedly up at the Russian who smiled softly back.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Yuuri smiled, pecking Victor on the cheek and making him giggle. "We need to get in the shower, we're both sweaty and your family will be wondering where you are."

As they had untangled themselves from each other, Yuri had bolted, running out of the rink and back home as fast as his legs could carry him. He had been planning to tell his family but for some reason, he never mentioned what he had seen that day and he had steered clear or Yuuri, waiting for the day when Victor and Yuuri would tell the family themselves. That was how we got here, Yuri sighed inwardly, as he looked at the scene unfolding around him.

This had to be the weirdest situation he had ever been in in his short life.

They were all sitting in Victor and Yuuri's hotel room, the night sky peering in through the slight gap in the curtains with only the light of the table lamp to illuminate them all. The four of them were sitting on an array of odd things, Yakov on the single chair in the room, Georgi on the little table closest to the light, Mila on the shaky bathroom stool and Yuri was swinging his legs from the top of the chest of drawers that only went up to his waist. They were all refusing to sit on the bed where Victor and Yuuri were sitting so closely together, their hips looked almost jointed. Positioned in a strange circle, they looked like part of the wackiest therapy session ever and Yuri was wondering how much therapy he would actually need to get over this. It would probably be at least a month's worth, he thought as he kicked his leg out and nearly caught the corner of the bed. I'll definitely be making Victor pay for it. This is all his fault after all.

He took a moment to look around at the people in the circle and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cringe. The tension filling the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife and it was clearly affecting some people more than others. The Japanese Yuuri was clearly the one most affected; he was sitting on the very edge of the double bed trembling, his round eyes looking down at his knees unable to look into the faces of the people who had just caught him and Victor together. To cover up his nakedness, he had completely wrapped himself in their white bedsheet, turning it into an elaborate toga that draped around him as his hands threatened to rip it with how tightly he was grasping at the material. He kept trying to drape it over his shoulders but the sheet wouldn't stay put, instead slipping down his arm to expose all the bruises Victor had put there earlier that night. The sight of them made Yakov give a low growl and Yuuri whimpered but Victor didn't seem to care as he himself pulled the sheet away from his lover's shoulders, keeping them in view as he proudly ran his fingers in gentle patterns over them.

He was the one who appeared the least bothered by the cloying atmosphere surrounding him as his smile hadn't left his face and he had one arm relaxed across Yuuri's shoulders, cuddling him closer despite the watching eyes of his family. He was also the one wearing the least amount of clothing, clad only in his pair of boxers that he had manged to find somewhere on the floor. He had pulled them on as everybody else had averted their eyes and even now he was shameless as he made no attempt to cover the rest of his muscular body. He may have seemed normal but Yuri could tell that underneath his cheery demeanour, he was nervous. He could see it in the way his smile was twitching like it had been fixed on his face and from the way his other hand was holding onto Yuuri's knee like his family would try to tear them apart at any second. His other hand stroked at Yuuri's cheek, making him look up and for a second their eyes spoke of the same worry. _I don't want to lose you._ Victor tried a smile, a soft private one that only Yuuri seemed to understand before they both looked over at the rest of Victor's family.

Yakov was sitting between Yuri and Mila, his face set into an angry frown as he glared at the couple directly opposite him. His arms were crossed and he may have appeared calm but Yuri could almost feel the fury simmering inside him like magma inside a dormant volcano and he wanted to take bets for when the man would explode. Georgi on the other hand, looked like a nervous clown, the light of the lamp next to him making his make-up look distorted and casting shadows under his eyes that served to make his skin look even more bloodless. His teeth were anxiously gnawing at his bottom lip and a spot of his lipstick was staining them blue, making him look even stranger and more phantom-like. Mila too looked nervous stuck between their father and Georgi, her eyes trying to look anywhere except at the couple as she attempted to use her hair as a curtain to hide behind. It took a while for Yuri to realise she was embarrassed by walking in on the pair naked. That nearly did make Yuri laugh- for someone with such a crude mouth, Mila could get so flustered sometimes just from a bit of skin. It was really too funny but he could see from the way her cheeks were almost as red as her hair that she would be next to useless in this intervention now.

Meanwhile, the only really calm figure in the room was Maccachin who was still fast asleep in his bed, tucked up in his blanket with his head on his warm pillow. The damn thing didn't even wake up when we walked in, Yuri thought. He's such a rubbish guard dog. This was why he was a cat person; his own fluffy white cat Olga may not be as openly affectionate as the poodle but he knew that if someone tried to enter his bedroom late at night, she would scratch their face off.

All thoughts of his cat were shaken from his head, however, when Yakov finally spoke, his voice as cold and cutting as steel. "Well Victor," He addressed his son, ignoring Yuuri completely. "Would you care to explain the meaning of this?"

Victor's smile disappeared at the cold words and he visibly seemed to wilt. He was used to Yakov being angry and shouting at him, he did that almost every day, but this new tone and coldness wasn't something he was used to. He looked ready to falter until Yuuri gave the hand on his knee a soft squeeze. "I thought the meaning was pretty clear," He said, keeping his eyes level with his father's. "Yuuri explained it pretty well on the phone earlier. We're both going to Japan so I can meet my Yuuri's family. It's going to be a nice break for us."

Yuuri blushed at the fond endearment as Yakov continued to glare at them. "Victor, you are not going to Japan." He said bluntly. "I forbid it. You are coming back to St Petersburg and that is final. You cannot go gallivanting around the world just before the Grand Prix, that could seriously wreck your chances of winning. You haven't trained this hard and for this long to lose it now!"

"But I told you, I'm still going to be training!" Victor protested. "Listen, Yuuri qualified for the Grand Prix as well so we both need to train. We were going to practise at his home rink, Yuuri has access to it anytime-"

"Wait a minute!" Yuri suddenly spat out. "The pig's competing too?! We can't have two Yuri's in the same bracket, I refuse! You can't compete!" He stabbed a finger in Yuuri's direction, leaning over accusingly so he was nearly poking him in the face. "I won't allow it!"

"You didn't complain this much when I qualified…" Georgi spoke up mournfully from the corner.

"That's because you're no threat to me dumbass," Yuri replied, sounding just as blunt as Yakov. "I could wipe your emo ass on the ice in my sleep!"

"Yuri! That is no way to speak to your brother!" Yakov shouted, his furious stare making the teen mumble an apology to Georgi, who looked close to tears. "And we need to get back to the issue at hand here." He shot a cold look at Yuuri, who flinched at the iciness he could see in the depths of his eyes. "Victor, I do not approve of this relationship. Can't you see this man is just using you?"

"Papa!" Victor was horror-struck. "How could you say that? Yuuri would never-"

"I don't want to hear it Victor!" Yakov snapped over him. "You are so blinded by him, you can't see what he truly is! He's only here to leach off your talent, he's nothing more than a scheming parasite!"

Victor growled as he went to stand up, only being held back by Yuuri who grabbed both his wrists and forced him back on the bed. "How dare you!" He shouted, taking even Yuuri aback; Victor never shouted and they had never heard such venom in his voice before. "Don't you dare call him that, you-"

"Victor, calm down!" Yuuri suddenly spoke over him, letting go of Victor's wrists so he could cup his face and make him turn his head. Seeing Yuuri's worried face instantly made his rage evaporate and he brought his forehead forwards so he could nuzzle into him, acting like Yakov wasn't even in the room anymore. "Getting angry isn't going to solve anything."

"But he said those things about you…" Victor argued, shooting an angry look at his father as he did so but he went quiet once Yuuri rested his finger on his lips.

"That doesn't matter." Yuuri replied, stroking his finger across his bottom lip in an imitation of Victor before he turned to face Yakov with a firm look on his face. The mood of the room switched as the four of them were stunned. One minute ago, he had seemed so docile and now he had all the attention in the room. This was the kind of change I saw at the banquet, Yakov thought, matching Yuuri's eyes in a challenge. You don't fool me Katsuki.

"Sir," Yuuri said, his voice entirely too calm for someone addressing their angry father-in-law wearing just a bedsheet. "I want to assure you that I have no intentions in that way towards Victor. I've idolised him for a long time as a magnificent skater but that is not why I am here. The only reason I am here is because your son means the world to me." Victor gave a wide smile at that and Yakov was certain he just heard Georgi aw under his breath. "My only wish now is to prove that to you. Would you allow me to do that?"

Yakov spluttered as the rest of his family's jaws dropped. Was he being serious? "Do you expect me to believe that?" Yakov replied, sounding outraged. "After what I've seen of you? After you fucked my son?!"

"Actually, I think it was the other way around." Yuuri answered, causing Victor to choke on his own laughter, Mila to squeak and Yuri to look grossed out and cover his ears. "And yes, I do. I know you can tell a liar when you see one, Mr Feltsman. Do I look like one to you?"

There was a long moment where nobody said a word. The air stilled almost completely as Yakov stared at Yuuri, examining his every move with unforgiving eyes. Yuuri stared back just as fixatedly, determination written on every inch of his face and Yuri found himself feeling a grudging respect for the man. He had only known him as shy at the rink with the occasional burst of sex appeal he usually saved for Victor- he hadn't realised the man had a core of iron as well. However, he could see that his father didn't look convinced; his eyes still screamed disapproval and when he glanced over at Victor, he could already see worry and resignation in his face. Yuri didn't know why but the image of that scene in the locker room came to his mind, when Victor and Yuuri had stared at each other like all the stars in the universe were in the other's eyes and suddenly he didn't feel like dragging Victor back home with his tail between his legs anymore.

"Hey Papa," He said, breaking the silence and causing every head in the room to jerk towards him. "I think I have an idea."

Yakov raised an eyebrow but still leaned over so his youngest son could whisper in his ear. The others all stared anxious glances and shrugs as he talked, his hand shielding his mouth so they couldn't even guess at what he was saying. Yakov's face shifted with each second, his eyebrows going up and his mouth stretching into a thin line as he listened. Nobody was able to tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing until he finally drew away and fixed Victor and Yuuri with another stare.

"OK." He said, delivering the single word like it was a prison sentence. "I have decided. You two will be going to Japan after all."

"Really?!" Victor cried out in excitement, suddenly jumping up and down on the bed like a surge of electricity had just gone through him, binding his arms around a speechless Yuuri and making him bounce too which nearly lost him his glasses. "Thank you Papa, I'm so glad you under-"

"But we're all coming with you."

"What?!" The cry echoed around the room as everyone else blurted out in shock, all except for Yuri who was looking very pleased with himself.

"What's brought this on Papa?" Mila asked, shooting her brother a mildly suspicious look as he stuck his tongue out at her. "What did Yuri say?"

"He just pointed out to me that a change of scene might be good for us all," Yakov replied, a small smirk playing on his face that strikingly mirrored Yuri's own. Victor gulped. He knew when his father had that face on, things did not go or end well. "You have all been training so hard this year, you deserve a reward. I'm sure Yuuri's home rink is delightful and we can all train there. It would be a good way to get to know you better, wouldn't it Yuuri?" His eyes now switched to Yuuri and he could see there was a delighted gleam in them that made him very worried.

"Err… yeah, sure it would…urm…" Yuuri somehow managed to reply, Victor's arms around him doing nothing to soothe the panic that was slowly rising in his core. This week was meant to have been for him and Victor to relax and finally be free and now they were going to be more confined than ever.

"It's great you agree." Yakov smiled, looking sinister as he rested his fingers on his chin. "Now where were you two planning to stay? If we can't get rooms too, there's no way we could all go…"

"That shouldn't be a problem!" Yuuri garbled out quickly, desperate to stop him finishing that sentence. "My family owns a hot spring and it shouldn't be too busy at this time of year… Victor and I were going to stay there but I'm sure if I call now, I can get you some rooms…"

"Excellent." Yakov nodded as Yuuri stood up to retrieve his phone. As he picked up his bag and began to rummage through it, the bedsheet started to slip down his body, traitorously revealing more and more of his skin until he caught it at his waist. His entire torso was still on show however, making Victor give a low appreciative whistle. Mila looked up at the sound and, upon seeing Yuuri half-naked, she squealed and covered her face with her hands, causing Yuuri to blush just as hard as she was. He made a dash for the door, making sure to cover himself up as much as possible before he slipped out into the corridor to call his parents. As he did so, he looked back at Victor, who was still sitting on the bed, and they shared a sorry glance. Neither of them knew, however, that the same thought had flashed in their minds.

 _How the heck am I going to propose to him now?_


	6. Chapter 6

"Phichit, I need your worldly wisdom again."

"Already?" The voice that giggled down the phone was way too sunny for this time in the morning and Yuuri groaned as he pressed his fingers to his forehead. "I swear you ask for my worldly wisdom at least once a week. Maybe I should start charging."

"Phichit…" Yuuri grumbled but the Thai man just laughed again.

"Don't worry, you'd get mates rates," He chuckled before he asked more seriously. "Anyway, what's up? You're on your trip with Victor, aren't you? Shouldn't you two be making like bunnies right now to make up for lost time?"

"We've done that somewhat but…" Yuuri tried to say but before he could finish, Phichit had given off such a loud squeal he had to shield the phone to prevent the whole corridor hearing. He was standing just outside the hotel room where Victor and his family were currently talking or at least trying to. Yuuri could hear a lot of Victor's excited babble with the occasional input of Georgi and Mila and even rarer Yuri but he hadn't heard a single word in Yakov's gruff voice and that only served to make him more worried.

"You did it?! Oh Yuuri, I'm so proud, I thought you were never going to lose your virginity! Was it good? Who was on top? And just how big is his-"

"Phichit!" Yuuri could have easily self-combusted on the spot with how hot his face felt. He knew he probably looked like a walking tomato and he had to almost yell down the phone at his friend to get him to stop his tirade of questions. "Keep your voice down! I'm out in the corridor!"

"Sorry I'm just so excited! My Yuuri's all grown up!" Phichit gushed like a proud parent before he suddenly twigged onto something. Yuuri could hear the cogs turning in his mind and it almost made him laugh out loud. "Hold on, why are you out in the corridor? Shouldn't you be with Victor? Unless that man is really into public sex-"

"No that's not it!" Yuuri hurriedly interrupted him before he gave a sigh. "This is my problem Phichit. Everything was going perfectly, we left early in the morning, we caught the train and we got to the hotel without a hitch. Everything was going perfectly until about half an hour ago, when Victor's entire family burst in on us asleep!" He heard Phichit give a loud gasp on the other end and he groaned in sympathy. "I know, it was so embarrassing, we were both naked and then I may have argued with his dad and now they're all coming to Japan with us and I don't think I can do this Phichit! What if I fuck up so monumentally, they decide to cut Victor off? What if he decides he hates me because his family makes him realise what an idiot I am?"

"Whoa, whoa, Yuuri, calm down," Phichit told him, his familiar voice soothing enough for Yuuri to catch his breath. Phichit had been his friend for so long that he always knew the best ways to make him relax and chase away his anxieties and he fleetingly wished that he was here in front of him so he could have one of Phichit's infamous bear hugs. "Listen to me. Whatever you do, Victor is not going to hate you. You're not an idiot at all and Victor could never think that about you. He thinks the absolute world of you Yuuri, why else would he go with you to Japan to meet your family? I can't think of anything more romantic than that! And his family may not be warmed up to you right now but I'm certain they will come around. You just have to be your normal adorable self and everything will be alright. OK?"

"OK." Yuuri smiled. He no longer felt like he was on the verge of snapping and he let out a long breath to shake out the last of his tense feelings. "Thanks Phichit, I needed to hear that."

"No problem, anything for my best buddy." Phichit replied and Yuuri could picture the grin he had on his face. "Now that we've got that out of the way, it's time for me to impart my wisdom in other areas. Have you given Victor a blowjob yet?"

"Phichit!" Yuuri's voice went up several octaves in shock, his voice high enough to wake up any dogs in the area as Phichit started reeling off tips that made his ears go scarlet. He gave another groan when he heard all the voices in the room go silent. Maybe it was a good thing that his best friend was still back in St Petersburg after all.

OOO

The following morning, Yuuri could feel a headache coming on as the six of them embarked to the airport. His head felt like a bell was ringing inside his skull and he could tell by the way Victor keep shooting him worried glances that his face was pale and wan with dark circles blooming under his eyes like violets. He kept his eyes looking straight ahead, trying to ignore how tired he felt but all he could think about were the disastrous events of the night before that had kept him from sleep and still made him wince.

The family intervention and Phichit's rather X-rated phone call had only been the tips of the terrible iceberg. After ending his call with Phichit and having to poke his head back into the room to reassure them all that he wasn't dying out in the corridor, he had had to call his parents and spend five minutes calming his mother down and assuring her that he wasn't calling this early because there had been an accident. He had then found out the inn had three rooms available and he had grudgingly booked them, warning his mother who was coming with him and then having to calm her down again when she realised that the royal family of the figure skating world were all coming to stay. After that, he had then booked four more tickets on his and Victor's flight in a process that had taken an hour, a lot of grumbling about short notice from the airport staff and some begging on Yuuri's part. Once that had all come together, he had finally gone back into the hotel room to find that Yakov had reordered their sleeping arrangements. Mila and Yuri had been made to share the double bed, much to the blond teen's dismay, and Victor and Yuuri had been forced to sleep on opposite sides of the room, either side of the bed. They had been just able to see each other through the gap between the bed and the floor and Victor had blown him a kiss goodnight but it had come nowhere near to the blissful feeling of falling to sleep in his arms like they had only a few hours before.

Man, what I would give to be back there, Yuuri thought when he remembered what they had been like the day before. The thrill of being able to touch and cuddle in public had been all too much and yet not enough at the same time and now he had had a taste, he wanted more. However, now they were back under Yakov's eagle eye, Victor was being cautious not to anger his father further and the only contact they had was when their fingers brushed longingly against each other as they walked side by side. Yuuri thought of how they had held hands on the train, their palms clasped together like they had been welded that way and he wanted to scream. This is so infuriating! He thought crossly to himself as they all approached the terminal. All I wanted was one week to be with the man I love, is that so much to ask? Does the universe hate me that much?

He was just musing on what heinous things he must have done in a past life to deserve this treatment when Yakov's voice suddenly snapped in front of him, making him focus on what was happening before him.

"What do you mean we're at the back of the plane?!" Yakov stabbed at the number printed on the four tickets he had just been handed, his cheeks a ruddy red as he glared at the air hostess. "There are six of us here and those two are in the middle! We can't be at the back! We're a group!"

"Unfortunately Sir, it looks like you are." The air hostess gave the tickets a quick look like she was just appeasing the angry man before she went on in a clear firm voice. "Because these tickets were booked at the very last minute, you have to make do with where you are placed. These two were pre-booked so they got to pick," She held up Victor and Yuuri's tickets, their names boldly printed on each one and Yuuri almost dived to grab them, giving the hostess a grateful smile as he did so. "And at this late stage, there isn't much I can do."

"But… can't you…" Yakov went to complain but one look from the young woman made it clear that that was the end of the matter. They passed through the checkout with Yakov grumbling under his breath, Victor and Yuuri carefully hanging back. Yuuri looked up at Victor and shot him a sly smile that the silver-haired man quickly returned. If they could get on the plane without him realising, they could have some time in peace.

They all boarded the plane and Yuuri made his move. He presented both his and Victor's tickets and passports to the hostess, who quickly ushered him through and away from Yakov. The pair of them were nearly halfway down the plane before Yakov realised and bellowed down the aisle at them, causing several other passengers to stop what they were doing and stare.

"Hey! Where do you two think you're going?!"

Yuuri turned around enough to give Yakov a smile and a wave. "Our seats are over here!" He called out, keeping his voice sweet and innocent though his smile was twisted into a half-smirk. "We would come and join you but I did have to book your seats late and all… and anyway, we have to do what the hostess says, right Victor?"

Victor eagerly nodded, grabbing Yuuri's hand and leading him to their seats as he aimed a charming grin at the hostess. The woman blushed as she motioned to their seats, which were positioned just in front of the wings and were rows and rows away from the others. They both grinned as they fell into the seats like their legs couldn't keep them up anymore. Yuuri peered around to see where Yakov was and he gave a smug smile at the fact that he couldn't even see the old Russian; Yuri had been shoved into the aisle seat by his two siblings and was now sitting there with his arms crossed and a murderous expression on his face. He turned back to Victor, who had his hands pressed over his mouth, and the moment their eyes met, they both started giggling like naughty schoolchildren.

"Yuuri, you naughty boy." Victor smoothly purred, making Yuuri giggle and go pink when his arms suddenly had him in a vice-like grip. Victor's face was now shamelessly buried in his neck and Yuuri could feel his pointed nose nuzzling into his skin. A tongue then lapped against his throat and he squeaked as a shudder went through his body.

"Victor!"

"What?" The Russian withdrew his head just enough to look up into Yuuri's eyes, fixing an expression of perfect innocence on his face as he looked up at him. "I want to cuddle."

He pouted, blinking his blue eyes up at him in the way he knew Yuuri couldn't resist and the Japanese man's resolve crumbled in less than a second.

"Alright." He answered and Victor wasted no time in burrowing back into Yuuri's neck, draping his arm over his chest to leave no doubt in the minds of anyone watching that this man was fully taken. Yuuri chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Victor, resting his cheek on the top of his silver head and letting out a content sigh. He could almost feel Yakov angry stare on them like a laser burning through the rows of seats but in that moment, he couldn't have cared less. He gave a little smile as he dropped a light kiss on the top of Victor's head.

0-1 to Yuuri Katsuki.

OOO

However, almost the second they got off the plane, Yakov firmly put his foot down. As the lovebirds had cuddled on the flight, he seemed to have been planning strategies for keeping them at arm's length and as they walked across the runway towards the Japanese airport, he swiftly made his move. The group made their way through passport control with little fuss but as they went to collect their luggage and Victor went to take Yuuri's hand almost on reflex, he suddenly found Mila was blocking the way. He shot a confused look over at her bobbing red head beside him but she kept her eyes straight ahead, acting like nothing was the matter. He peered over her to meet eyes with Yuuri but the dark-haired skater was glaring at Yakov's back, his mouth set in a thin line of resignation. So that was his game, he thought, already picturing the satisfied look the old man would have on his face. If we won't be apart, he'll physically keep us apart.

He might have been impressed if he hadn't been so pissed off.

It only got worse as they ventured out of the airport and into Japan. Yuuri's hometown was a good few hours away from the large bustling city they had landed in and they quickly found a bus that would take them most of the way there. As they walked to the stop, Mila darted forwards to look at a shopfront but before Victor could even attempt to move closer to Yuuri, Georgi had taken her place, slotting between them like an unwanted puzzle piece. He gave his brother an apologetic look before he looked down at the pavement and Victor could tell he wasn't comfortable with this. Georgi had never been one for wanting to get in the way of life, he lapped up tragic stories of star-crossed lovers like a cat with cream but he still had to follow his family and protect his brother. Victor fumed. Why do they all think I need saving from Yuuri? He internally spat in frustration. Can't they see he's not going to do anything to hurt me and that I adore him to pieces?

He gave a short sigh. He had never wanted to feel Yuuri's hand in his more.

The strange game of swapping continued right up to the bus stop. The three of them weaved so easily in and out of their positions, it was like they were performing an elaborate dance around a maypole and there was nothing Victor or Yuuri could do about it. When they got on the bus at long last, Victor had been sat next to Mila, who could still barely look Yuuri in the eyes after seeing him last night, and Yuuri was sat next to Georgi who promptly buried his nose in another novel.

The awkwardness in the air was so tangible, Yuuri wondered how he hadn't been strangled by it already. He stared out of the window with a small empty smile on his face. Though he was enjoying seeing the sights of his home country rolling by, he had wanted to share them fully with Victor. He had imagined them both sitting next to each other with him pointing out all the things he loved about his home and Victor taking it all in. He snuck a quick look over at his boyfriend to see Victor looked just as hollow as he felt. Mila was trying to engage him in conversation, trying to drag Yuri into her mission at the same time though it only resulted in a flood of verbal abuse, but Victor was paying little attention to her or his brother's spats. He too was staring out of the window and for a moment, their eyes caught in the reflection of the glass. The tinted glass distorted the colour of Victor's eyes, turning them sea-green instead of blue but Yuuri still stared into them greedily as he offered a smile that he hoped conveyed all he wanted to say. Victor grinned back softly, drinking in the moment while it lasted and Yuuri felt a fluttering of hope inside his chest. Maybe it would get better once they got to his house.

After they finally got off the bus, Yuri moaning that he felt too stiff from all that sitting and Georgi emotional from the ending of the novel he had finished, Yakov's plan went up a level. Now, instead of just one sibling in the way, all three had now formed a wall between the couple, nipping any chance of them getting close in the bud. The formation made it a little cumbersome whenever they encountered anybody else on the pathway but still they persevered under the strict eye of Yakov and Yuuri thought the whole thing was ridiculous. Don't you realise what you look like? He wanted to shout at them all but he held back. He didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of the street and he also didn't want to start an argument. If he wanted to endear himself to Victor's family like Phichit had said, he just had to act like himself.

To distract himself from the obvious barricade between him and his boyfriend, he started talking about the sights all around them, acting like a tour guide as he explained certain aspects of his culture and how it was being displayed. He found his frustration leaving him as he spoke highly of his country, suddenly feeling overjoyed that he was back- the last time he had been home had been a quick visit after the last Grand Prix final, where he had felt so dejected, he had just eaten pork cutlet bowls for a week. Now everything was very different and he could feel himself beaming at the thought of seeing his family so soon and getting to introduce them to Victor. Even the knowledge that Victor's family would be there wasn't enough to dampen his spirit and he steamed ahead, talking with great gusto as the others struggled to keep up with him and hold their formation at the same time.

As they walked and he chatted away, he could see that Victor's siblings were beginning to lose their cold demeanours and were marvelling at the sights around them. They would have all visited other countries before for competitions, he thought, but they probably wouldn't have seen much apart from the rink and their hotel rooms. He knew he had often shut himself away during competitions and he regretted not seeing the sights of some of the cities he had visited. He felt a burst of pride that he could show them this country and especially from the evident joy on Victor's face. The man looked like a child who had stumbled by accident into the land of Narnia, his eyes as wide as saucers as he tried to take everything in. At various points, he excitedly shouted questions over heads of his siblings and, although Yuuri could sometimes only just see him from behind Georgi's quiff, he would call his answers back, inwardly laughing at the way the other three would eagerly turn their heads towards him so they could hear it too. They were trying to disguise it but he could tell they were listening; Georgi had a book in his hands which he was using to try and shield his phone which he was using to take photos of everything, Mila was squealing each time they rounded a corner and saw something new and even though Yuri had his headphones on and was acting uninterested, Yuuri could see he didn't have them plugged into his music player. The end of the cord was hanging out of his pocket like a little tail and he wanted to giggle every time he saw it happily swinging there. The only one who still seemed to be in a sour mood was Yakov, who hung back from the rest of them, begrudgingly looking at his surroundings. He looked more like he was in jail than on holiday but Yuuri said nothing. The last thing he needed was an annoyed father-in-law on his hands when they got to his home.

It was late afternoon when they eventually arrived at the inn. Their shadows over the lush green of the hill were just beginning to drag, getting longer and longer as the sun started its slow descent and Yuuri wasted no time in opening the door and ushering them inside. He knew they were all tired; whilst he was using to marathons of running or walking, the Russian skaters got most of their exercise through skating or the gym, meaning they were unused to long walks up steep hills. He could see how their faces had all gone rosy pink at the exertion, their chests rising and falling in an unsteady rhythm as they wiped sweat from their brows and he rang the bell at the front. What they all needed, he decided, was a good dinner and then bed.

"ママ?" He called out in Japanese, hearing the sound of rattling glasses and the blaring of a TV coming from another room.

"ゆうり!" An overjoyed cry sang out, followed by a crashing as somebody dropped a tray of glasses down on the nearest surface to rush to the front desk. Victor and his family watched as a short Japanese woman with soft brown hair and round silver glasses came barrelling into the room, almost tripping in her haste. She nearly collided with Yuuri, stopping just in front of him to give a bow and giving him just enough time to bow back before she launched into a long tirade of happy Japanese that made Yuuri smile and laugh.

"あなたもママに会えるのは良いことです." Yuuri replied, his hands clasped tightly in the woman's as she bounced on the soles of her feet with joy and Victor smiled fondly at the scene. His woman had to be Yuuri's mother, there was nobody else it could be. She had a full figure that reminded him of Yuuri during his chubby phase that he had found so adorable and her happy smile was an exact mirror of the one spread across Yuuri's face. When she turned to face the group, he also saw she had the same warm brown eyes with flecks of honey in them and they were so warm and friendly, he could feel himself relax despite their long journey. Those eyes instantly latched onto his and before he knew it, the woman had close to sprinted across the room to stand in front of him, looking over him excitedly whilst throwing remarks over her shoulder at her son.

Victor laughed. "What's she saying Yuuri?"

"Oh!" Yuuri, having temporarily forgotten that his guests didn't speak Japanese, stumbled over his words before he quickly translated. "She said you must be Victor, she would recognise you anywhere. She also said you and your family are very welcome here." He finished quickly, not wanting to repeat the comments his mother was making about what a fine young man her son had brought home. Those were certainly not for his family's ears.

"Oh, that's great!" Victor beamed, bowing to Yuuri's mother like he had seen Yuuri do. "But how did she recognise me?"

"Erm…" Yuuri's face blushed as his mind raced to come up with an answer. Maybe he shouldn't have been so thorough with his descriptions of Victor in his call back home or maybe he shouldn't have let his mother clean his room full of Victor posters… "She must have seen you on the telly in one of your competitions."

Victor gave a nod and Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. Silently thanking every deity he could think of for giving him the sense to call ahead and get his posters packed away before his boyfriend could see them, he turned to the others and gave a smile. "Would you like to go through and have some food now? My mother makes the best pork cutlet bowls in Japan if you would like to try them."

He could see Victor and his younger sibling's mouths watering at the mention of the food, subconsciously leaning towards the fragrant smells coming from the kitchen. They had all gone to take a step forwards, stomachs suddenly aching for food, when Yakov thrust himself in front, holding them back. He ignored the pouts Victor and Mila shot his way, along with Yuri's soft hungry growl, and turned to Yuuri's mother with a respectful nod. I don't want to offend the woman, he thought, careful to give a slight bow, even if her son is a shameless hussy.

"Thank you but I think we'd like to allocate rooms first and drop off our luggage." He said. "That way we can enjoy dinner without leaving a mess in your hallway."

"OK, that's fine." Yuuri said, translating for his mother with a sigh of relief. Mrs Katsuki bobbed her head and quickly bustled away to check if the rooms were ready and Yuuri looked back at them all, suddenly feeling a nervous bead of sweat forming at his neck. "Right, so you have three rooms booked between the four of you-"

"No we don't." Yakov gruffly cut over him, making Yuuri stop talking and almost wince. "What about the room you and Victor booked?"

"Oh… about that…" Yuuri locked his fingers together to stop them fidgeting as he forced himself to look Yakov in the eyes. "We were going to stay in my old bedroom together…"

"What?!" Yakov exploded, his voice so loud Yuuri could hear the chatter in the other room die down just to hear what was going on. "That will most certainly not be happening!"

"But Papa…" Victor whined next to him but Yakov only had to give him a look to make him go quiet.

"Not happening." He repeated, just in case there was any doubt in what he meant. "I don't trust you two alone together! I'm not having a repeat of last night!"

"Well, maybe you wouldn't have had to see that if you hadn't barged in…" Yuuri muttered under his breath as Mila went red again and made a noise like an animal in pain. He had thought he was being quiet but when he heard Victor chuckle and saw Yakov's eyes glint darkly, he realised he hadn't been quiet enough.

"This is how we're going to arrange this." Yakov ordered, sounding exactly how he did in the rink as he gave Yuuri an evil-looking smile. He gulped. This was not going to end well for him after that remark. "There are four rooms between six people. I will have one room to myself and Victor will have another because nobody wants to share with his snoring."

The other three firmly nodded, relieved they didn't have to endure a week sleeping in the same room as their noisy brother. I wouldn't mind sharing with him, Yuuri thought inside his head but he didn't say it out loud. God knows what that might trigger in the Russian man.

"That just leaves two rooms. Georgi, you can share a room with Mila and you," He said, pointing at Yuuri with a smirk on his face. "You can sleep in your old bedroom. However, I don't want either you or Victor sneaking into each other's rooms for any reason." He gave a dark smile and Yuuri suddenly felt like he was waiting for an axe to fall. "Therefore, Yuri will also be sleeping in your room."

"WHAT?!" If Yakov's outburst had been an explosion, Yuri's was like an atomic bomb; he screamed so loudly, it felt like the rafters above them were shaking, and the ground started thundering as he stamped his usually more elegant feet. As he raged through a colossal temper tantrum, Yuuri looked on completely speechless, his body feeling numb. He couldn't be serious. Yuri hated his guts, he knew that from every single time he had called him pig or downright ignored him in the rink. Was the man trying to get him killed?

He saw the pleased expression on Yakov's face and came to the conclusion that he was.

"Papa…" Mila said, almost as an anxious reflex as she looked at her brother, who was now spitting and snarling like the tiger he liked to call himself. She and Georgi had sympathetic looks on their faces whilst Victor looked horrified, inching closer to Yuuri like he could somehow protect him from the growling blond teenager. Their reactions didn't make Yuuri feel any better and he was thinking of hiding in their unused banquet room when Yakov finally spoke.

"Perfect. Now, I won't hear any more fuss on the matter. It's settled, am I clear?" Both Yuri's opened their mouths to object but Yakov once again stilled them with just a look. "Great. Now let's go to dinner." He went to stroll into the next room, where the delicious smell of fried pork was slowly drifting towards them, and as he passed Yuuri, he gave him a triumphant smile. Yuuri gulped, the sound becoming into a whimper as Yuri followed and gave him a look that would have turned milk sour.

The score was now 1-1 to Yakov Feltsman.

OOO

"This blows." Yuri huffed as he tried to get comfortable, tossing and turning around on the thin bed and letting the blankets flap around like the wings of angry birds. "I can't believe I have to room with you."

"I'm not that happy about it either, you know." Yuuri grunted from the floor as he glared up at the bed, unable to do much more as he had cocooned himself in all the spare blankets he had been able to sneak from around the inn. When they had gone to unpack, he had offered Yuri the bed, thinking it was the polite thing to do as he was a guest. Now he was beginning to regret it as the teenager rolled around on the mattress like it was a bed of nails, huffing and puffing like he was trying to blow a house down. Meanwhile, he was lying down on his old bedroom rug, the thin well-worn fibres doing little to cushion him from the hard wooden floor, and the pillow he had retrieved from their living room sofa was itching the side of his face. He groaned. He had thought things might get better when they reached his parent's beloved inn but instead, it seemed like it had hit rock bottom.

Dinner had been one of the most frustrating events of his entire life. His mother had made katsudon for all of them and it had been just as delicious as he remembered, if not more so. His guests had seemed to agree as they had all fallen on the food like a pack of hungry vultures. Victor had been the most enthusiastic about it, declaring that this was the food of the gods whilst the others had just gobbled theirs up, Yuri even going as far as to ask for more. However, any joy that Yuuri get from the Russians enjoying their food was taken away as they practically refused to let him and Victor speak a word to each other. They had tried, Yuuri acting as the translator for his parents who wanted to know more about their son's boyfriend but each time Victor had opened his mouth to speak, he had been trampled on by one of the others. It had hurt, being so snubbed in front of his own parents and when he had had to explain the situation to his parents in carefully worded Japanese, it had only hurt more. They had been sympathetic, knowing their son was sensitive and nothing like how Yakov was painting him to be but he knew there was very little they could do, not speaking English or Russian. After dinner, Yakov had then packed them all off to bed, not even allowing the two of them a moment to say goodnight. Yuuri could remember how sad Victor had looked before he was ordered to his room, his neck bent like a wilted plant, and it made him feel even worse. He knew if this continued, there was going to be no chance of him being able to propose and he may never get the courage again. It just wasn't fair.

He fidgeted, feeling a shiver run down his spine. Even though he had trapped himself under a mountain of blankets, he still felt a chill that was nothing to do with the temperature of the room. He felt it whenever he compared tonight to the night before, when he had fallen asleep curled up with Victor and he swore he could feel his heart ache. Just being there with him had felt so right and he knew sleeping on the floor would have been a thousand times better if Victor had been snuggled up in the blankets with him. He imagined Victor on his own in one of the inn's room and he gave a sniff. He really wanted him here.

"Are you crying again?" Yuri suddenly stopped throwing himself around on the bed as he peered down at the Japanese man with a look of disgust. "I know you'd rather be sucking Victor's face off right now but you don't need to whinge about it."

His words sparked the frustration that had been building up inside Yuuri all day and he was surprised at his own tone of voice as he snapped back furiously. "I was not crying! And anyway, you don't have to worry about that. I know how well you deal with crying people."

He wriggled around under the heap of blankets and turned his back on him, burrowing his face into the pillow so Yuri couldn't see his face. Yuri saw the dark head try to shuffle under the blankets and he felt a stab of guilt. He knew exactly what Yuuri was referring to; that scene in the bathroom after the Grand Prix where he had just snapped at him for being weak. He still felt bad about it but he didn't know how to say that. He just had no clue how to deal with feelings and shit like that. He laid back on the bed and huffed again. He was still mad about having to stay here in his stupid country far away from his home where he should be training but it wasn't Yuuri's fault that he was stuck here. OK, maybe it was a little bit (he shouldn't have taken off with Victor if he didn't want his family to follow them) but he hadn't dragged them all that way and he certainly hadn't made them share a room. He had looked just as horrified as Yuri and felt.

He really must hate me, Yuri thought with a little tinge of sadness. I can't blame him for it too.

"Hey pig," He called out softly, his voice echoing in the silent room. "That stuff we were eating earlier… was that Katsudon?"

He heard something shifting under the nest of blankets next to him before Yuuri whispered an answer. "Yeah it was. It's my mother's speciality."

"It was really good." Yuri replied, almost surprised. He was actually having a proper conversation with the Katsudon. How funny. "I can see why it's your favourite. You might have some taste after all."

"Thanks… I think." Yuuri said. "I wouldn't recommend having too many of them though, they make you put on weight fast."

"Oh, OK. Thanks for the advice." The words felt funny in Yuri's mouth, almost tasting metallic with how unfamiliar they were. He never usually thanked people, not even his family that much, yet here he was saying it to somebody his family heavily distrusted. He guessed Yuuri should be thanked though; he had not only let them stay here in his house and booked them tickets but also given them a tour of his town that had been really interesting. Yuri had made out he wasn't listening by pretending to listen to his music but he knew Yuuri had seen his headphone cord wasn't in. He had smiled at it but made no comment and Yuri was grateful for that. Mila would have ribbed him to Russia and back if she had found out.

The room fell into silence again and the atmosphere wasn't any less awkward. Yuri pulled the blankets over himself but it felt too hot, too suffocating and he kicked them away again. What did he have to do to get some semblance of sleep? He heard another sniff, this one more muffled as it attempted to smoother itself and when Yuri looked back down at the floor, he could see the katsudon was trying to hide his face. Great, he thought. I'm dealing with him crying again. He almost turned over and went back to trying to sleep but something made him freeze. Shouldn't he be trying to help? He knew how well it had gone last time but he could still make a go of it. Only because the man had let him have his bed though, even if it was the most uncomfortable bed in history. That was the only reason.

"Hey. Don't cry down there."

"I told you, I'm not crying." Yuuri's muffled and annoyed voice muttered back.

"Yeah right." Yuri spat back before biting his lip. That wasn't helping. "Look, I know you've had a bad day having to deal with us lot but it's going to be OK. You'll see."

There was a long pause where neither of them said anything and Yuri was secretly panicking. What had he said to offend him now? He was just about to get out of bed to see if the man was still alive when Yuuri poked his head out of his pillow and stared up at him. His brown eyes looked watery and little tears had caught on his eyelashes that glowed like moonstones. His hair was messy and his cheeks were slightly puffed and he was looking up at Yuri with a confused look on his face.

"Why do you care?" He asked. "Surely you don't want things to get better for me."

"That's mainly my dad," Yuri explained. "He's the one who thinks you're a bad influence on Victor. With the others, it's nothing personal. They just don't want him getting hurt. You know how easily he throws his heart into things."

"Yeah, I do." Yuri was surprised to hear Yuuri gave a chuckle. "I remember him telling me this story about when he was little, he loved making flower crowns and he made them every day so he could wear them to class. He got teased by the other boys for looking like a girl but he just carried on and soon the girls started wanting them as well. He made them for his entire year group and none of the boys dared to insult him then because the girls liked him so much. He described it like having an army with flowers for helmets!"

"Oh god, I remember that story!" Yuri burst out and both of them started laughing at the idea of a tiny Victor leading an army dressed in flower crowns. They couldn't stop for a few long minutes, their laughter only ending when they both needed to breathe. "Victor loved telling that story. It's one of the few memories he liked from his time in the orphanage."

"I know." Yuuri nodded, propping himself up on his elbow as Yuri stared down at him dumbstruck.

"You do?"

"Yeah, he told me about it." The Japanese skater answered, his voice lowered and Yuri could have sworn he sounded sad. "He told me everything, the fact that he was left on the steps as a baby, his first day on the ice, everything. I know how much he hated that place and it hurt me to see him like that. I've always had a supportive family and I know how much they all love me so I couldn't believe he had that start but I'm trying to understand it for him." He gave a wistful smile as he toyed with the corner of one of his blankets, suddenly unable to look Yuri in the eyes. "And anyway, he has a family who loves him now. He adores all of you, you know."

"Yeah." Yuri was taken aback. He had no idea Victor had told Yuuri about all the things he had endured. He knew from his father that it had taken years for Victor to tell him everything that he had been through and even longer to reveal it to his siblings. Yuri himself hadn't known about it until he was ten years old yet Yuuri had uncovered it after just a few months. He felt a prickling feeling in his chest and for a moment, he wondered if it was jealously before he had the thought that maybe his family had been rash to judge Yuuri. Just looking down at him, the teenager could see the caring look in his eyes was almost the same look he had seen back in that locker room all those months ago. It hadn't changed a bit and he felt another stab of guilt.

"Hey Katsudon. I wanted to say… I'm sorry for those things I said at the Grand Prix. You aren't weak at all."

"Oh." Yuri didn't need to look down to know Yuuri was surprised. He could picture his shocked expression, his mouth pulled into an oval and his eyes wide, and he almost smiled as he looked up at the ceiling. "It's OK Yuri. Thank you."

"Hmmf." Yuri replied, sounding once again like his usual self. There was more silence for a moment before he then said "You know, I think Victor could do worse than you Yuuri."

Yuuri had to restrain himself from getting up and giving Yuri a hug for saying that. His chest felt like it would burst but he settled for another quiet "Thank you" as he wrapped himself tighter in the sheets and buried his face in the pillow to cover up his squeals of glee. Not only had Yuri called him by their shared first name, a miracle in his eyes, but he now had the approval of one of Victor's family members. He smiled as he finally closed his eyes to sleep, the floor not feeling as bad anymore.

The score was now 2-1 to Yuuri Katsuki.

 _ママ= Mama_

 _ゆうり= Yuuri_

 _あなたもママに会えるのは良いことです/Anata mo mama ni aeru no wa yoi kotodesu = it's good to see you too mama_

 _All Japanese comes from Google Translate. I can barely cope with my own language at times, let alone another so I apologise if it isn't accurate._

 _Hope you all liked it! Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Yuuri woke up slowly to the sound of his name being gently purred into his ear and the feathery feeling of fingertips lightly brushing his face. The sensations were so delicate and dreamlike, he thought he was imagining them at first, keeping his sleepy eyes closed as he tried to turn over, giving a low groan. However, he felt himself hit something, keeping him blocked as he was gently cajoled onto his back again.

"Yuuri, Yuuuuuuriiiiii, you have to wake up now…"

Yuuri just groaned again. "Leave me alone Victor, it's too early…" He muttered out, his voice further muffled by the arm he had slung haphazardly over his face. It took a long moment for his sleep-addled brain to catch on to what he had just said and when he did, he suddenly threw his arm away from his face, crimson spreading across his cheeks when he finally opened his eyes and saw his boyfriend staring down at him, his blue eyes twinkling as he fought not to giggle.

"V-Victor! Wha-when did you get here? What's the time? And where's Yuri?" He tried to sit up, questions falling from his mouth in a rapid babble as he attempted to look up at the bed but Victor placed a hand on his chest and firmly held him there, pressing his fingers to his own lips to make Yuuri go quiet.

"It's 7:30 Yuuri, everyone's downstairs at breakfast." He told him, smiling at the way the Japanese man's eyes kept flicking between his playful grin and the fingers that were still splayed over his chest and bunching in the material of his t-shirt. Victor himself was in baggy sweatpants and a loose t-shirt that had fallen rather suggestively down past his shoulder and his hair already looked flawless unlike Yuuri's unruly mop. He wanted to pout. How did Victor always manage to look so beautiful? "Yurio went down a couple of minutes ago, I poked my head out and saw him at the top of the stairs. He saw me and pointed inside your room so I took that to mean you were still asleep and here you are, my little sleeping beauty." His smile got wider as Yuuri went even redder, getting more and more adorably flustered as his hands groped at the blankets falling around him. "I think Yurio's beginning to like you. That's funny; I thought he'd be the toughest one to crack."

"Yurio?" Yuuri asked, his head slightly cocked to the side. "Is that his nickname or something?"

"It's what I started calling him after I became friends with you." Victor told him, wriggling his fingers and making Yuuri squirm under the touch. "I couldn't have two Yuris, could I? That would just be confusing."

"I guess," Yuuri said, trying to ignore the heat in his face as Victor leaned closer, looking anxiously at the door. "But why did he get the nickname? Surely you've known him longer and-"

"Do you really want to talk about Yurio in the first proper alone time we've had since my family got here?" Victor purred, his voice suddenly low and seductive as he removed his hand from Yuuri's chest and placed it by his head. "And don't worry, they're all used to me being the last one up. So, that means… we have a little while."

He pressed a gentle kiss to Yuuri's lips, lingering there for a long moment before he rained down kisses on the rest of his face, peppering them across his cheeks until Yuuri was giggling. The sound of his laughter was like liquid sunshine to his ears and he kissed his lips again, wanting to taste the sweet sound on his tongue. Yuuri moaned as he pushed himself up onto his elbows, bringing his body closer to Victor's as his nest of blankets slipped away from his torso.

"I missed you." He mumbled sweetly as they both pulled away slightly for air, still close enough for their lips to brush as they took great gasps of air. Victor smiled teasingly.

"I was with you all of yesterday. You could see me."

"I couldn't touch you though," Yuuri replied, his hand reaching up to cup Victor's cheek and the teasing smile slid off his face. "I wanted to so badly but I couldn't get near you. It was so frustrating Victor…"

"I know." Victor whispered softly, lightly kissing his lips before he leaned his forehead against Yuuri's. "It was for me too. I hated that I couldn't even hold your hand as we walked up here. Last night was awful, my room was nice and comfortable but the bed was cold without you in it. I wanted you there to cuddle and make me warm."

Yuuri gave a little chuckle as he smirked up at Victor. "Just cuddle?" He asked slyly, laughing at how Victor's cheeks went slightly pink.

"Well… maybe other stuff too." He admitted before he placed both his hands on either side of Yuuri's face and brought him closer for another kiss. This kiss was deeper and more frenzied as the fully awake Yuuri wore out all his pent-up frustration from the day before on Victor's mouth, abusing his lips with small nips and sucks until they were swollen and red like cherries.

"Yuuri…" Victor managed to moan out, surprised he could still control his vocal chords as he let Yuuri dominate the kiss, feeling breathless as he clung to him in a vice-like grip and kissed him like he was never letting him go. Victor could already feel himself getting aroused and he had to force himself not to grind down on the blankets that were currently separating his crotch from Yuuri's. He wanted to, God did he want to lose control and let Yuuri take over him, but he knew they didn't have enough time; his family would notice soon that he wasn't there and he couldn't go down there with an obvious boner. He didn't tell Yuuri to stop though. He was just as desperate for contact as him and went to tug him closer, running his hands under his t-shirt and relishing the feeling of his skin. Yuuri groaned straight into his mouth and he could feel the vibrations of it trembling through his core. This was too much and yet still he wanted more, craved more…

"Victor! Are you up yet?! Get your lazy butt down here or you're going to miss breakfast! And bring the pig with you!"

Yurio's sharp voice echoed up the stairs and they hurriedly pulled apart, their faces hot and their mouths panting. They exchanged a panicked look before they realised there were no sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs and they each gave a sigh of relief.

"Guess we should go down." Yuuri lamented, untangling himself from the blankets.

"Yeah, we should…" Victor repeated, not fully concentrating on his words as he reached out to help Yuuri free himself, sneaking in a few squeezes of his body that made Yuuri squeak and slap his hand away.

"No Victor, bad Victor!" He said, waving his finger in front of his face as he tried to distract Victor from how pink his face had gone from the attention. Victor played along with a smirk on his face. Now he knew Yuuri liked it, he was going to do it a lot more often…

"Victor!" An even angrier shout came from downstairs and Victor reluctantly had to get to his feet. "Don't make me come up there!"

"I'm coming Yurio!" Victor called back, a sneaky grin on his face as he hauled Yuuri to his feet, making sure to yank him up with just a little too much force so the Japanese man had nowhere else to fall but straight into his torso. Yuuri wrapped his arms around him tightly to stop himself falling and Victor took the opportunity to nuzzle his face into his messy bedhead.

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME MORON!" Yurio shouted and the couple both laughed when they heard him loudly stomping away.

"We should really go down and get something to eat." Yuuri said, making no move to detach himself from Victor.

"Mmmhm." Victor hummed in response. "Just one minute more?"

He looked down hopefully into his boyfriend's eyes and Yuuri found it all too easy to succumb. "Alright," He agreed. "One more minute."

It ended up being five before they finally let go.

OOO

An hour later, after the four siblings had finished their war over the bathrooms (Georgi had won, to everyone's surprise, and had somehow managed to take more time in there than Mila and Victor put together), the group were heading towards Yuuri's local ice rink, the Ice Castle of Hasetsu. The day had dawned crisp and clear, the sky glowing a perfect turquoise colour with only a few scattered clouds to mark it and the air was warm and fragrant with the smells of the bustling town as it slowly began to wake. Shops opened as they passed them and Yuuri could smell the heavenly aromas of baking and cooking coming from the many cafes and food stalls that were setting up along the street, springing up like daisies that were just trying to remind him of his hunger. Thanks to Victor's lagging and his family's surprising appetite, there hadn't been much food left when they had finally gotten downstairs and Yuuri had had to make do with a single piece of toast and jam before Yakov was hurrying them all to training. His stomach was rumbling in protest at all the tempting scents around him and he was praying that nobody else could hear it as it growled like a wild animal. Unfortunately for him, he heard a snort of disapproval from his right and he didn't need to turn his head to know it was Yakov. Great, he thought. Just my luck.

The Russian man had given him a look of disapproval when he had walked down the stairs with Victor, despite them not even touching, and he hadn't stopped since, scowling straight ahead at the street like it was the town's fault that his son had fallen for one of its inhabitants. Victor's siblings were also still following his plan from yesterday; the three of them had sandwiched themselves between him and Victor, leaving little to no room for manoeuvring, but Yuuri found that it bothered him a lot less than it had yesterday. That was probably because he could still feel the burn of Victor's lips on his, the harsh kissing leaving a tingle that he was praying wouldn't go away for a very long time. When he looked at Victor out of the corner of his eye, he could see the man was constantly putting his fingers to his lips and that gave him a little bloom of pride in his chest. It was like having a little hidden connection and the best thing about it was that Victor's family just couldn't tell it was there.

"Hey Yuuri!" Victor's excited voice suddenly called out to him, shaking him from his thoughts and making him look round. Victor was pointing up at the top of the hill, his arms gesturing wildly like a child's when they saw a toy they wanted on a high shelf. "What's that building up there?"

Yuuri followed the wild path drawn by his fingers and his eyes rest of the large but still somehow delicately-crafted building on the top of the hill. "Oh, that's Hasetsu Castle," He explained, noting with a bit of glee that he had the attention of the three people between them. "It used to be a ninja house but now it's a tourist attraction. It's really pretty up close."

"Really? You had ninjas here?!" Victor sounded enthralled, his eyes wide as he continued to drink in the sight. "That's so cool! You have to take me up to see it Yuuri!"

"OK sure." Yuuri smiled over at him and he felt a fluttering in his chest when Victor beamed back at him, clearly excited. Maybe that would be a good place to propose, he thought, feeling heat rush to his cheeks at the imagine of the beautiful gardens that surrounded the house. Yes, that would be perfect…

"Nobody is taking anybody anywhere until all your skating is up to my standards." Yakov cut in bluntly through Yuuri's fantasising. "And that includes you too Katsuki. I'm not dropping my expectations just because you're not my student."

Yuuri gulped. The thought that Yakov would go easy on him had never even crossed his mind. He had witnessed the man training his family and other skaters back in the rink at St Petersburg and gulped at the thought of being under the fierce man's eye himself. The reality had always been that he would expect even more from Yuuri, only wanting the best skating possible if he even had a hope of being somewhat approved of.

Alright, Yuuri thought, hunching his shoulders over and picking up his pace. If that was what it took to show Yakov that he was worthy of Victor, then he was going to give his best skating yet.

"The Ice Castle is just up there," He said, trying to alleviate the nerves that were threatening to spill over. "It should only take us a few more minutes to reach it."

"Thank fuck for that." Yurio spat from beside him. Yuuri hadn't planned to use the nickname but once Victor had mentioned it, it had gotten stuck in his head. He did think it suited him though; it was kind of cute in a way even when the boy was swearing like a trooper. "My feet are already killing me and I'm not even on the ice yet. This rink better be good pig."

"Yuri, language." Yakov said, a warning in his tone. Yuri responded with a grunt but he didn't swear again until they finally reached the rink. Yuuri went to the front desk and, after a long and animated chat with the young woman behind the counter, he returned with a beaming smile.

"We can have the rink for as long as we need." He said. "Yuuko's agreed to keep it open for us as a private session. She's good at keeping secrets too so we won't have to worry about anybody storming the place."

"That's great Yuuri!" Victor gave him a beaming smile in thanks and even Yakov gave him a tense nod. Yuuri felt elated but it only lasted a few seconds before there was a sudden bang behind him that made him jump.

"Can we get on the bloody ice already?! Some of us have a Grand Prix to practise for!"

"Alright, keep your hair on!" Mila laughed as she ruffled the strands of the teen's blond hair causing Yuri to yell at her like she had slapped him.

"Don't touch me hag!"

"But it's so soft… like kitty fur!"

"I HATE YOU!"

The bickering continued as Yuuri led them hurriedly from the locker rooms and towards the rink, praying that there wouldn't be a murder before they got there. When he opened the doors of the rink and saw the ice glittering before him, he gave a soft nostalgic smile. It was this large oval of sparkling diamond ice where he had learnt how to skate, where he had made his first jump, his first spin and his first fall. It was here where he had first seen Victor, in a little room in the back with a small TV, and on the ice, he had discovered his love for the sport. He took in a deep breath and felt the chill of the air run down into his lungs, trickling through his body like it belonged there. This place always felt like home and he was suddenly bursting with happiness that he was here.

"Can you stop blocking the door?! We want to skate!"

Of course, Yuuri sighed as he stepped through the door and quickly got out of the rampaging teen's way. Victor had said earlier that Yurio was beginning to like him but as he stared over at the boy who was scratching his skates on the ice as he span, looking almost angry with the ice itself, he was starting to doubt it.

"Everybody on the ice!" Yakov suddenly ordered, causing a scramble for the gateway onto the ice as he clapped his hands. "That includes you too Katsuki!"

"Yes Sir." Yuuri answered quickly before he followed the others. Victor turned around and gave him a smile of encouragement and he nodded back, a hand combing through his hair to push it back. Victor made a smirk which he hid from his family by speeding towards the centre of the ice. He knew that look in Yuuri's eyes; that was his determined face, the face he got when he was set on something and he wouldn't give up until it was done.

Yuuri skated a few warm-up laps, drowning the sounds of Yakov barking instructions and Yuri shouting in favour of the soft swooshes of his skates on the ice. The gentle noises were soothing to him, like the beat of a familiar favourite song and it was easy for him to get lost in the melody. He skated like he was a teenager again, all alone on the ice with Yuuko maybe watching from the side lines until his muscles were thrumming and the cold was just a distant memory on his cheeks. He then moved to the other side of the rink, making sure he was a good distance away from the others still warming up, and he stood still in the centre of his space, his eyes closed as he let out a breath and began. He could imagine the sound of the trembling flamenco beat in his ears and it washed over him as he ran his hands down his sides, barely feeling the material of his work-out clothes, before he swirled his arms around his head, pointing his foot out like he had been trained to do in his ballet lessons.

He launched into his Eros routine, throwing all his energy into his movements but being careful not to let that show; this dance had to look effortless, seductive and that could only be achieved by making his movements soft and feminine. He kept the story Victor had told him at the forefront of his mind. He was the most beautiful woman in town, entrancing the playboy and bending him to her will before she tossed him aside, ready for the next. He could remember the looks Victor had shot him as he acted out the story, his eyes fiery under the silver of his fringe and Yuuri had been unable to look elsewhere. He kept that intensity in his mind as he went into a step sequence, moving like he was flouncing, feeling the confidence that comes from being desired flood his veins. He wanted everyone to stare at him that way, he wanted Victor to stare at him that way and never look at another with that same fire and want in his eyes. I am the only one who can satisfy him, he thought, giving a sly smile when he thought of what his family would think if he could hear his thoughts right now. If Victor wants me then the rest of the world is going to have to deal with it. They can cry on my skates if they want to, I'm not going to care. I'll use the tears for ice as I skate towards Victor.

He threw himself into his final spin, his heart pounding in his ears in time with the imaginary music as he straightened out of it to perform his last few moves. Tossing his arms out to the side like he was dismissing a suitor, he gave a last rotation on the blades before he froze, his arms wrapped around his torso and one leg flexed. He panted as he came down from his high, already feeling the confidence ebbing away as he lowered his arms slowly, stretching them a little to gain back some feeling in his numb fingers. It was only then, without the sound of his Eros music flowing through his head, did he realise the rink was completely silent.

He turned his head and was struck by the vision that met him. The four other figures on the ice were still, frozen like they were made of the ice under their feet and they were all staring at him. Mila and Georgi both looked in total shock, Yuri was looking on with a stunned awe on his face and Victor had a wide proud grin on his face. Even Yakov was looking over in silence, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the frozen scene before him. Yuuri could feel the man's eyes on him and he felt his face burn up as he stepped fully out of his position. He was so focused on trying to avert eye contact with the man that he didn't realise anybody had moved until he felt a familiar pair of arms suddenly engulf him.

"Yuuri! That was beautiful! I've never seen you skate like that!" Victor enthused as he squeezed him tightly before dropping his voice lower to whisper in his ear. "If I'd known what sex would do to your skating I would have deflowered you a long time ago…"

"Victor!" Yuuri squealed as the silver-haired man laughed and only continued to shower affection on him, rubbing their cheeks together and indiscreetly cupping his arse. "People are going to see…"

"Victor, stop petting him and get a room! You're so disgusting!" There was a screech of skates as Yurio suddenly skidded in front of him, ignoring how the ice seemed to be protesting under his feet. "But seriously… that wasn't too bad." Yuuri poked his head back up in shock. He had been expecting a rapid slew of insults but instead of screaming at him, Yurio was staring at him with a look of grudging respect in his eyes. "Your jumps were shit but the rest of it was actually pretty good. For a pig anyway."

Yuuri couldn't stop the smile that wormed its way onto his face. "Thank you Yuri." He said, catching himself before he called him Yurio and got on his bad side. "That means a lot from you."

The blond teen just looked away, muttering something like "Yeah whatever" but both Victor and Yuuri caught the slight pink blush that was splashed across his cheekbones. "Hey Yakov!" He suddenly shouted, ringing his mouth with his hands to project his already loud voice. "What did you think?!"

Yuuri directed his attention to the other end of the rink. Georgi and Mila still hadn't moved and were watching the exchange with curious looks on their faces. Yakov was like a statue as he watched them but at Yurio's question, he looked shaken before his usual frown fell back over his face like a curtain had fallen.

"Yurio's right. You need to work a lot harder on your jumps, they were barely satisfactory." He said sharply before loudly bellowing at the whole rink. "Well don't just stand there! Get back to work on your routines!"

He started rattling off orders as the other two skaters jumped and started to move again, spiralling into spins like they had never even stopped. The other three were frozen, Victor still with his arms around Yuuri though the man didn't think he could have moved if he had tried. The curt comment might have seemed like an insult to anyone else but compared to what Yuuri had been imagining he would say, it was nothing. In fact, it was almost high praise.

This was only confirmed when Victor suddenly lifted him up, spinning him once as he cheered and Yuuri flailed. "Did you hear that?!" He excitedly whooped straight into Yuuri's ear. "You only got one correction! That means he saw it was amazing too! He could barely find anything wrong with your skating! Maybe he'll warm up to you sooner than you think!"

"Maybe..." Yuuri shakily agreed as Victor put him back down, still clinging to his t-shirt as he steadied himself. "I still need to work on my jumps though, I'll never make it anywhere in the Grand Prix if I can't do those."

"I can show you some." Both Victor and Yuuri nearly cricked their necks with the speed they whipped their heads around to look at Yurio, who was suddenly looking very awkwardly down at the ice like he too couldn't believe his own offer. "I mean… if you want. I am way better at jumping than you and I need the practise myself." His voice was gruff like he was trying to counteract what he was offering but Yuuri saw through it and just smiled.

"That would be great thanks!" He beamed and Yurio looked surprised at the enthusiasum in his voice.

"Yeah well… just try to keep up with me, OK?" He snapped, going to skate off before he hesitated. "Hey katsudon… in return, could you show me that move you did in your step sequence? That one where you flicked your foot out like that?"

He motioned on the ice, kicking his foot out in a pointed curve and Yuuri gave a little noise of recognition that very nearly made Victor hug him again for being adorable.

"This move?" He said, stepping away from Victor before he performed it, adding a little more finesse than Yurio had. The blond teen eagerly nodded. "It's a thing from ballet, my old teacher showed me how to do it. She's the reason I'm on the ice in the first place. You want me to show you how to incorporate it?"

Yurio nodded, his green eyes now almost shining as he realised something. "You trained in ballet too?" He asked and when Yuuri said yes, he nearly dragged him away whilst starting to spew words at an alarmingly fast rate. "I've done ballet since I was tiny, my mother is Lilia Baranovskaya and I've never seen a move like that…"

Victor watched as his boyfriend was promptly kidnapped by his younger brother, a grin forming on his face as he observed the scene. He had only seen his little brother this excited and talkative with people he was really close to and the fact that he had latched onto Yuuri so quickly was something he had never expected to happen. As he watched Yuuri and Yurio glide across the ice in almost perfect sync, his chest felt like it was ready to explode with happiness and even Yakov yelling at him to get a grip didn't dampen his mood. He couldn't help looking at them still out of the corner of his eyes, even as he skated his routine.

Wow my little katsudon, he thought happily as both of them went into a jump. You really are full of surprises.


	8. Chapter 8

_Next chapter finally up! I'm sorry this took so long to do but I got back to university a little while back and I'm exhausted. So much has happened since my last update (I signed a lease on a house and I'm trying out a new sport, not to mention all the reading I have to do...) and it's been hectic so thank you for being patient. All your comments have been lovely and I'm amazed at the number of favourites and follows this has. Thank you all, please enjoy this chapter and review!_

The rest of morning practise went without a hitch. The only sounds that could be heard were the rhythmic slicing of the blades on the ice, the skaters making their own music as they threw themselves into their routines. From the edge of the ice, Yakov gave a satisfied nod. Things were going exactly as he had hoped.

He watched his children skate and felt a burst of pride. Georgi had gone for a very emotional number, playing up his recent heartbreak and although Yakov had been exasperated with him when he had first heard his theme, he had to admit it played to his son's strengths as he acted it out before him. Mila was flying across the ice like a rocket with her billowing red hair, her dynamic routine with plenty of spins showing off her energy as well as her grace to perfection. She had had a massive input in the choreography and he was proud of her for taking an interest. Yuri was pushing himself hard for his senior debut, happily embracing his ballet heritage which Yakov knew would make his mother very proud. He was swooping from jump to jump, his legs moving like he was ready to pounce but his arms were soft like he was catching snowflakes and didn't want them to break. Even Victor seemed to have stepped up his game; everything about him was just suddenly so much more alive and when he catapulted himself into a quadruple flip, it felt like sparks should have flown from his blades when he landed. With that level of performance, Yakov thought with a smile, he should win his third gold by a landslide.

If he could take his eyes off the Katsuki boy.

Yakov felt like slamming his head into the ice when Victor turned his head back to gaze at Yuuri for the umpteenth time that session. It was like the man's eyes were magnets and Yuuri was the only thing they were attracted to. It was really beginning to annoy Yakov as every time Victor did turn to stare, he would start to skate slower, drawing out the moment so he could observe him for as long as possible which meant he wasn't looking where he was going. He had already nearly caused a collision with his sister, who had huffed at him and threatened to chuck him over the railings, but her anger hadn't deterred Victor in the least. Yakov watched as Yuuri hurled himself into a quadruple toe loop and sighed when Victor gave a little gasp. This really was too much.

"Victor! If you turn your head one more time to gawk at Katsuki, I will personally escort you off this ice and on the next plane to St Petersburg! Start concentrating!"

Victor gave a small smirk, too used to Yakov's threats, but when he saw the tired look on the old man's face, he quickly looked away from Yuuri and started to practise more seriously. He and all his siblings knew that a tired Yakov was a grumpy Yakov and when he was grumpy, his temper was even shorter and more explosive than normal. That was something none of them wanted to see.

Yakov gave another sigh at the lovelorn look on his son's face. The Katsuki boy is just over there and he's acting like a wall's been built between them, he groaned inwardly, wondering why he had to put up with a band of adults acting like teenagers over their other halves. At this rate, I'm never going to allow Yuri to date, he thought. It's just too much hassle.

He glanced over at the other end of the rink where Yuuri was quietly training and keeping out of the other's way. He had spent most of the morning with Yuri, both of them showing each other different moves and jumps whilst talking about their ballet training. Yuri had puffed up with pride when Yuuri had mentioned he knew of his mother and her spellbinding dancing and Yakov could tell that the teen was impressed with the Japanese man's ability to seamlessly bring ballet onto the ice. He had seen Yuri's green eyes had shone like jade as he talked, chatting away like Yuuri was an old friend and that had really taken him by surprise. Yuri was usually so prickly with people until he really got to know them, it had taken him months and even years to warm up to some people and yet Yuuri Katsuki had stumbled past that all in a matter of days. Yakov surveyed him with a sense of bewilderment. What was this boy's secret?

Yuuri was going over his spins again, his leg up straight like it was on a barre and his arms spread wide like wings. It almost looked like he was tossing his body into the wind and, from the serene look he had on his face, it was like he was freely handing himself over. Yakov gave a frown. This man really was a puzzle. When he had barged into that hotel room back in Vladivostok, he had expected to meet a cunning seducer, a playboy with no heart and no conscience who was just leading Victor on a wild ride. Instead, he had been confronted with a shy boy who occasionally had bursts of confidence but mostly retreated into his shell. He was gentle and soft-spoken, easily got embarrassed and seemed to have the patience of a saint. His behaviour with Victor, to his surprise, had been nothing less than tender and loving; he took his mind back to that intervention in the hotel room when Yuuri had been able to calm his son down with just a few words and a soft look. Even now, as he skated, Yakov could see his skating differed from that of his students. He was powerful, there was no doubt about it, but it came with a purity that he had never seen in anyone else. It was like he was scared to show his true strength and that really was a shock to him. He was finding it harder and harder to link this man to the one he had seen at the banquet and he was almost beginning to wonder if it had been the same person. Did Yuuri maybe have an evil twin? That would make a lot of sense.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice his eldest son sneaking up on him until Victor spoke right next to his ear, nearly causing his old heart to go into shock and stop working. "He is beautiful, isn't he?" Victor crooned, completely ignorant of the distress he had just caused his father as he was too busy staring at Yuuri's form. "He's a true vision on the ice."

"Victor! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Yakov growled, his angry words merely bouncing off his son and leaving no impact. The man had such an adoring look on his face that Yakov wasn't sure anything could get through to him and he groaned. "He isn't bad," He grumbled, looking over at Yuuri who had just dropped into a sit spin. "His jumps are course and need a lot of work but he has his step sequences down perfectly."

"You think so?!" Victor exclaimed delightedly, a wide grin lighting up his features so they almost looked cartoonish. When Yakov gave a stiff nod, he gave a loud squeal and clapped his hands together. "I knew you'd see it eventually! I saw his talent and his beauty right from the very beginning!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you did…" Yakov growled, a sudden image of the banquet flashing in his mind. No matter how sweet the boy seemed, he couldn't get those predatory eyes out of his mind. The brown orbs that night had been so filled with danger and lust that Yakov visibly shuddered at their memory. He couldn't forget that that boy out there had been responsible for that, no matter what Victor thought of him.

Surprisingly, Victor seemed to detect the feeling behind Yakov's tone through his fawning over Yuuri and he gave his father a worried look. "Why do you dislike him so much?" He asked, making Yakov's eyebrows go up in surprise at his sudden seriousness. "He's done nothing wrong to any of us."

"How is dragging you all the way to Japan against your family's permission nothing wrong?" Yakov glowered at him. "How is making you lie to everyone you know for eight whole months nothing wrong? And how was his behaviour at the last Grand Prix banquet nothing wrong?"

Victor stared at him, clearly taken aback by the venom in his father's words. "Papa, you do realise I was part of a lot of that, don't you?" He said, his voice so soft, it might have been a whisper. "I was the one who insisted on coming to Japan with him, I practically begged for him to take me. I was the one who did the lying, nobody made me do it. And as for the banquet…" He gave a light chuckle, the noise almost startling to hear after all he had said. "You do realise he doesn't remember a thing from it, right?"

"What?" Yakov stared at him. "What do you mean he doesn't remember a thing?"

Victor just chuckled again. "Didn't you see how much champagne he drunk? I bet even you would be a little tipsy if you chugged sixteen glasses. He was so drunk, he just blacked-out and he can't recall a thing from the whole night now. That side of him… it very rarely comes out and only with a lot of help."

He suddenly gave a sly look in Yuuri's direction and Yakov suddenly felt like he knew too much about his son's relationship.

"You're serious?" He said slowly, again looking over at where Yuuri was skating. The Japanese man was beginning to flag, sweat pooling on his forehead and his breathing heavy despite his stamina. Yakov watched as he slowly skated to the edge of the rink and grasped at his water bottle, drinking it down like it was the last chance he had. His eyes narrowed. Could that really be true that he recalled nothing of seducing his son? That those eyes had been fuelled by alcohol?

"When am I not?" Victor asked, his voice back to his usual gleeful tone. "Now I have to get back to skating, you know how close the Grand Prix is!"

He trilled as he skated back into the centre of the ice and Yakov almost yelled at him to get back here and explain himself. Victor, serious? Not on his life!

"Cocky little shit." He muttered under his breath, briefly thinking of Lilia scolding him for teaching their son his extensive vocabulary. He once again looked over at Yuuri who was still taking a short break at the edge of the ice. There was a pink flush of exertion on his cheeks and it made him look very innocent, especially when coupled with his messy hair and the glasses he had put on to check through his phone. He was looking down at the screen with a half-smile on his face, the light shining on the lenses of his glasses in a strange mirror effect. When he looked like this, Yakov acknowledged, it wasn't hard to believe that he simply had forgotten about the banquet and that maybe he wasn't the playboy he had considered him to be. Yakov gave a huff as he turned away to gaze over the other half of the rink. Had he really been wrong this whole time?

His ears suddenly detected the sound of conversation from across the rink and he looked back up to see that Yuuri had been joined by another skater. Georgi was standing on the other side of the barrier, looking lost and lovelorn whilst Yuuri was giving him an understanding smile. Yakov blinked, not quite sure if the bizarre sight was real, until he heard Georgi talking.

"…and now I keep seeing her posts on Instagram of her and her new boyfriend and it tears me apart," Georgi lamented, clenching his fists and giving a dramatic sigh like he was delivering a monologue on stage. "I just want to be with her, to protect her like I always said I would but she doesn't want that from me. All I want is her back but nobody understands that."

"That sounds really hard," Yuuri replied, his voice full of sympathy. For a moment, Georgi looked shocked. Nobody in his family ever sympathised with his heartbreak, telling him he was going too over the top, and he scrutinised Yuuri's face for any signs of laughter about to rise to the surface but all the empathy he saw there was genuine. "It must be horrible having to see the one you love not share your feelings. It's heart-breaking but I think you have to see this as a setback instead of your whole world crumbling. I know it is hard to but you have to push yourself beyond it- if I had never done that, I probably wouldn't still be skating. You'll find your true love one day Georgi and I guarantee she'll be better than Anya. Until then, you just have to focus on yourself."

"You think so?" Georgi said, his eyes wide. Normally whenever he tried to talk about his feelings with his family, they would just tell him to 'move on already' or stop being so sappy. He couldn't recall the last time someone had genuinely supported him and he could almost feel tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. "I… I wrote some poetry a while back, just to try and express my feelings. You don't think that was a bad idea, do you?"

"Of course not!" Yuuri smiled back eagerly. "That sounds like a great way to express your emotions. It's not really that different from doing it through dance, is it? I'd like to hear it sometime!"

"You would?" Tears were now forming in the corners of Georgi's eyes and he was staring at Yuuri's friendly smile like it was a mythical being. When Yuuri gave a nod, he suddenly gave a giant grin that could have rivalled Victor's and Yakov could have sworn he gave a squeal. "Thank you, that's the first time anyone's ever wanted to read it! Hold on, I have some in my bag, it's a work in progress but I'm sure you'll enjoy it…"

"Stop hogging Katsudon!" An angry voice suddenly shouted at them and Yuuri looked bewildered as Yurio skated in front of him, his face drawn in a scowl. "I need him to show me that step sequence again! I almost have it now!"

"But you've had him all morning!" Georgi pouted, suddenly throwing his arms around Yuuri's neck like he was going to strangle him. "And he wanted to read my poetry!"

"Nobody wants to read your soppy crap moron!" Yurio spat crossly, grabbing at Yuuri's arm and tugging him in the opposite direction. "And I actually need him for something important!"

"Urgh, guys…" Yuuri squeaked as he was pulled in two different directions like a rope in a tug-of-war but neither of the two heard him as they continued to bicker. Yakov couldn't believe his eyes. Were two of his sons really fighting over who would get more of the Katsuki boy's time? This time yesterday, they had barely talked to him! What kind of magic was this boy using?

It only got worse when he looked back over at the skaters who were still practising and he saw Victor had come to a complete stop. His eyes were honed in on the scene unfolding on the other side of the ice and they had narrowed into needles. His mouth now had a pinched look and his elegant fingers had crumpled into fists. Yakov felt like facepalming as he started to skate over to them. Now, he had to deal with jealous Victor too? What was the world coming to?

In the end, Yakov ended up having to do something that he never thought he'd have to do- save Yuuri Katsuki from the attentions of all three of his sons. He sighed. He really needed a proper holiday.

OOO

"Victor, you're not still sulking, are you?"

"Hmph." Victor gave a huff as he stared straight ahead and Yuuri couldn't help but giggle at him. Victor was internationally famed as one of the most attractive men on the planet but right now, with his lips in a pout, his arms crossed over his bare chest and a white cloth folded on his forehead, he looked more adorable than anything else and Yuuri couldn't help but smile at him. It was just too hard not to.

"Oh c'mon," He teased, splashing the warm water that levelled at his chest as he inched closer to his boyfriend. "I thought you said you wanted your family to like me."

"Not that much." Victor muttered, his pout only growing when he heard Yuuri giggling again. He leant back against the rocks behind him and closed his eyes. It just wasn't fair. He was quite clearly in distress and here was Yuuri, making fun of his plight. Life was just too cruel sometimes.

Yuuri was right though; he had desperately wanted his family to get along with Yuuri so they would come to accept him as their son in law. However, seeing his brothers fighting over Yuuri like two lions over a scrap of meat had sparked something primal in his chest and before he had even known what he was doing, he had skated over to the fight and made the point of scooping Yuuri up in his arms and glaring at them both. Yakov had forced them to separate about ten seconds later and Yuuri's face had been beet red when he skated away to practise again but Victor had been satisfied that he had stamped out his authority. Now they would know that Yuuri was his and only his.

Unfortunately, things hadn't worked out that way.

Yurio had practically leapt on Yuuri the second their skates left the ice, chatting away to him about ballet and skating and how to combine the two like his life depended on it. His words had been so fast, they were like bullets leaving his mouth but Yuuri, sweet patient Yuuri, had stood there and listened to every word, nodding in the appropriate places and adding his own input that would send Yurio into an even longer and faster babble. Yuuri had only been able to shoot Victor an apologetic smile as he was frogmarched from the rink, Yurio on one side still talking and Georgi on the other. Victor had once again been unable to get near him but now it was for an entirely different reason and, if he was honest, he couldn't decide which one was worse. It was a very close call.

Dinner hadn't gone much better either. They had had katsudon again, much to everyone's delight, but Yurio had determinedly sat himself between Victor and Yuuri, wedging himself between them so they could talk more and Victor hadn't even been able to get a word in. What was even worse was that he could barely see Yuuri; his brother's blond mop had just kept getting in the way. He groaned. He had admired his brother wanting to grow his hair long, it had brought back pleasant memories of when his own hair had been long, but in that moment, if somebody had handed him a pair of scissors, he would have cut it all off with no hesitation. It had been annoying him that much. Then, just when it seemed Yurio had talked himself hoarse, Georgi had jumped in, regaling Yuuri with his poetry and the emotions behind each line until Victor had wanted to shred the sheets of paper with his teeth. It had all been just too much.

Now the pair of them were finally alone in one of the hot baths of the onsen that Yuuri's family owned. His parents had opened up some of their outdoor baths specially for the skaters and the warm waters were doing wonders for his aching muscles but Victor couldn't help still being a little peeved. Of course, he had wanted his family to like Yuuri, who wouldn't want their family's approval, but he hadn't expected Yurio and Georgi to take such a shine to him so quickly. He had never expected to have to fight for his boyfriend's attention and he wasn't pleased at his sudden competition. He knew deep down, he was being silly and that Yuuri only had eyes for him but he still wanted to have a sulk about it. It made him feel better in a weird way.

"Oh Victor." There was a splashing sound as Yuuri lifted himself party out of the water so he could straddle Victor's lap. When he opened his blue eyes, he saw Yuuri's soft brown ones twinkling down at him, full of mirth as he smirked. He had to give a smile back. He loved looking into Yuuri's eyes; they were just too dazzling not to, like chunks of amber that could change from a soft light hue to a dark smoky colour that always stole the breath from his lungs. Who had ever said brown eyes were boring? He didn't think anyone had been more wrong in his life.

Yuuri continued to smirk down at him as he lazily trailed a finger over Victor's cheek. "You really shouldn't be jealous you know. You're still my favourite. And anyway, I only got your brothers to like me."

"That's true," Victor answered with a small grin. His hand reached up from under the water to link his fingers with Yuuri's before he brought his wrist to his mouth for a soft kiss. "You still have to win over Yakov and Mila and they certainly won't be easy."

"Don't remind me." Yuuri groaned and Victor had to laugh. Despite his revelation earlier, Victor had noted no real change in the old man's behaviour towards Yuuri; he had acted just as coldly towards him through their walk back from the rink and through their meal and he hadn't spoken a word to him. Mila was also still refusing to address Yuuri; Victor knew she had always been a daddy's girl at heart and she had seen the wary look his sister had given the tussle on the side of the rink just before it had been broken up. He laughed again.

"I shouldn't worry about Yakov, he'll soften up eventually. You just have to play the long game with him. And I think that Mila is just still embarrassed; I don't quite think she's gotten over seeing you naked back in Vladivostok. It was quite the view."

"Victor!" Yuuri whined, his cheeks going rapidly red at the memory. "That was so embarrassing! How can you say something like that with a straight face?!"

"Well, I really didn't mind it." Victor purred. One hand still had Yuuri's in a loose grip, lightly using his thumb to stroke at his wet skin whilst the other was slowly making its way up Yuuri's side. "You just have to be patient. You'll crack them eventually; you're already halfway there."

"Hmm." Yuuri hummed in agreement before he leaned in closer to Victor. "Victor, do you really want to be talking about your family in the first proper alone time we've had since this morning?" His eyes were glinting wickedly and Victor could already feel himself swooning at the emergence of Yuuri's Eros side. It was something he could never tire of seeing.

"No." He barely had time to mumble his response before they were kissing, arms suddenly and desperately clutching at each other so there wasn't even an inch of space between them. Their mouths moved messily against each other, a clash of teeth and tongues, as Yuuri slid into Victor's lap, pushing their groins against each other and making a moan rumble in Victor's throat.

"Please Yuuri…" He groaned out as Yuuri separated their lips and dipped his head to kiss along his throat. He needed this contact, he had wanted it since that morning and he was determined to have it. He bucked his hips up a little, drawing out short moans from both of them, and Yuuri didn't need telling twice. He started rolling his hips over Victor's, the friction almost burning as the warm water rippled around their moving bodies. Victor wound both his arms around Yuuri's shoulders, clawing marks into his back as Yuuri softly panted in his ear, his tongue darting out to run over the earlobe and making Victor shudder in pure pleasure.

"Victor… we can't… do this here…" Yuuri gasped out, trying to slow their rhythm but finding Victor's insistence hard to resist. "My sister has to clean… these pools and… she would never forgive me…"

"Oh." Victor stopped at once, a grateful Yuuri suddenly falling into him. The last thing he wanted to do was get on the wrong side of Yuuri's very pleasant family and, if he was being honest, Yuuri's older sister seemed a little intimidating. "Shall we take this inside?"

Yuuri rapidly nodded and the two of them scrambled to leave the bath, both quickly grabbing towels to hide their erections from the cold night air. They ran to get into the small private changing room that they had been allocated and before Victor could even close the door behind them, Yuuri had acted. He slammed Victor against the nearest wooden wall and captured his mouth in a searing kiss that made Victor feel like he was being branded. He welcomed the harshness and his body became putty as Yuuri took his wrists and pinned them either side of his head. His breathing was hot and raspy when Yuuri finally drew away for air but it wasn't long before he was nipping along his shoulders, refreshing the old marks left from their first night together and making them bloom again. His hips rolled again, shaking off his towel and working away at Victor's until the knot fell apart and it pooled around their feet like fallen snow. They pushed their lips together again in an attempt to stifle their moans, the heated sounds muted in the small room as they grinded against each other. Victor was the louder of the two, completely lost in how Yuuri had taken control and the fact that he couldn't touch him was somehow even more stimulating. The friction between them was delicious on his warm damp skin and the way Yuuri's nails were now digging into his wrists and marking him with crescents was only spurring him closer to the edge.

"Yuuri, I'm…" He only just managed to say those few words before he came, white squirting over both of their stomachs and thighs. It only took Yuuri a few more thrusts before he came too with a long guttural groan and he slumped against Victor, letting go of his wrists so he could cuddle him close in a sweet embrace.

They stood like that for a few long minutes, just enjoying the presence of the other being so close, Yuuri pressing his head into Victor's neck and Victor dotting kisses onto the top of his head. It was only when they started to feel uncomfortably sticky did they break apart, shooting each other knowing smiles as they went to fetch washcloths.

"Yuuri," Victor almost sang as the Japanese man threw him a cloth, his voice teasing and still very flirty. "I didn't know you had that in you."

Yuuri chuckled, the sound filthy to Victor's ears and he nearly swooned again at the Eros that was still thick in the air. "Well, you weren't the only one frustrated with today. I like your brothers, I really do, but I think you really should send Georgi to therapy… or a poetry class."

He pulled a face and Victor laughed, wrapping his arms around Yuuri from behind and throwing both their soiled cloths over his shoulder. Yuuri made a mental note to hide those deep in the laundry pile; he would never hear the end of it if Mari uncovered them.

"Oh Лучик, have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Yes, lots of times." Yuuri laughed before he turned his head to peck his cheek. "And I love you too. Now go get dressed, not all of us can walk around naked as much as you!"

"You know you love it!" Victor giggled as Yuuri pushed him away, making sure to wriggle his hips just when he knew Yuuri was watching him so he could make his face go vermillion. The other man squeaked and quickly turned away to dry himself off and Victor just grinned. It never failed to amuse him how Yuuri could be so nervous just after he had been grinding against him like that. It was just too adorable.

He went to grab a towel when his attention fell on his coat that was hanging up on the wall next to him. It was huddling against Yuuri's own coat and he remembered how the two had been quick to shrug them off and dive into the warm waters, barely pausing to fold their clothes and leave them in messy heaps on the benches. That wasn't the thing that was distracting him however. Instead, his eyes were drawn to the little bulge in his outside pocket where he had been carrying the little ring box all day. He had known there wouldn't be any place to propose at the rink, not with his family there to make a scene but now they were alone…

He darted his head around to look at Yuuri who was humming a tune he didn't recognise as he dried himself off. There was a soft infectious smile on his face and Victor suddenly longed to make it a wide grin. He looked back down at the bulge, his heart hammering inside his ribcage. True, it would be unconventional to propose in a changing room when both of them were naked but then again, he was Victor Nikiforov, when was anything he did conventional? Yuuri's humming suddenly got louder and Victor felt his chest tighten. Yes, he was going to do this. He was going to do this right now!

He reached over to his coat and tugged on the pocket, letting the box half-fall into his palm. "Yuuri," He said, surprising himself with how calm he sounded when it felt like every single muscle in his body was trembling with anticipation. "There's something I-"

"Are you two done in there yet?!" There was a pounding at the door as a familiar angry Russian voice bled in through the door. "You're taking forever! Yakov sent me to make sure you idiots hadn't drowned!"

Victor nearly hit the ceiling, jumping up in surprise at the voice and clutching at his heart with his hand, making the material of his coat pocket spring back into place and hide the ring box. Yuuri loudly laughed at Victor's reaction, spluttering as he tried to hide it behind his fingers, and it was a good minute before he had composed himself enough to call back.

"Sorry Yurio, we're just getting changed! We'll be out in a minute!"

"You better be." Yurio groaned and they heard him stomp away. Victor gave a little sigh of relief that the teenager was leaving them alone but it turned into a huff when he saw Yuuri hurriedly getting into his clothes. The romantic moment was completely gone now, lost in the steamy atmosphere from the baths and he grudgingly started to get changed himself. Trust Yurio to ruin it, he thought grumpily as he pulled his top on and grabbed his coat, now trying to ignore the pockets as he draped it over his arm. Life really wasn't fair.

Yuuri seemed to sense that his sulkiness was coming back as he walked over and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his stubborn mouth. "What did I tell you earlier about getting jealous?" He teased, hugging Victor's side and feeling the taller man melt into him. "Now, hurry up and get fully changed. We can't keep your family waiting."

Victor only nodded as he pulled on his shoes and walked after Yuuri, keeping their hands firmly linked. He squeezed his fingers and smiled in satisfaction at the way Yuuri's cheeks lit up with pink. I'm the only one who can do that, he thought happily and under his coat his hand traced the rounded edges of the ring box. And soon, the whole world will know it. I'll make sure of it.

 _Лучик/luchik = sunbeam/ ray of light_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey everyone, next chapter is finally up! It feels like forever since I last updated this story but the past few weeks have been a bit of a shitstorm so I haven't had much writing time. Thankfully, I don't think I have much left of this story to write so I'm determined to get this finished soon. Anyway, please read, enjoy and leave a review!_

The next morning, Victor woke up in a cheery mood, a smile fixing itself on his face almost the second his eyes opened. He was normally cheerful so it wasn't unusual but somehow this morning, everything just looked ten times brighter and he was eager to jump out of bed, ready for the day. He hummed as he went to straighten out his sheets, not wanting to give Mama Katsuki too much to do- he had to leave a good impression as her future son-in-law. The thought nearly made him squeal in excitement before sighing a little in frustration.

Yesterday he had been so close and after the moment had been so perfect, it felt like a big wasted opportunity. He would have loved to walk back with Yuuri after their dip in the hot springs and loudly announce to his and Yuuri's whole families that they were engaged (their faces would have been priceless) but sadly, it hadn't happened that way. Instead they had all talked for a little while, mainly about training and preparing for the Grand Prix, before they had all retired to their separate rooms. Yurio had been quick to haul his precious Yuuri into their shared room and he could have sworn he heard faint music that sounded suspiciously like music from Lilia's last ballet show from the corridor as he passed. That had made him smile; after their talk in the hot springs, he was glad that Yuuri was getting along with his grumpy younger brother. It would make it much easier when he asked him to be the ringbearer at their wedding.

He very nearly gave a little jump in glee at the thought. Even though he hadn't been able to propose yesterday, all thanks to Yurio (he had very nearly cut him out of the wedding plans in his brain for a moment), but he wasn't deterred in the least. He just had to find another moment like that one where they would have no chance of being interrupted and blam! Yuuri would have his ring on his finger and everything would be perfect. Then he would just have to worry about what kind of flowers they would have- he knew Yuuri liked red roses and they were traditionally romantic but blue ones would really bring out his eyes…

He finished making the bed and stepped out of his room, looking around to find the corridor was empty. He grinned. Hopefully this meant that the bathroom was empty and with any luck, he could avoid the battle that he knew would break out when Georgi would get in and take forever. Leaving Maccachin to doze away in his room, he walked down the corridor, a change of clothes scrunched up in one hand and a towel jauntily swinging from his shoulder. He carried on humming a tune he had been considering for a new short program when the sound of giggling suddenly made him stop in his tracks. He stopped humming and froze as he looked around, trying to work out where the noises were coming from. As he stood there, the giggling only got louder, punctuated by little snorts and cooing sounds as another voice gave a low grumbling sound. He gave a small frown. The grumbling was clearly Yurio but the giggling was harder to identify. It sounded a lot like his sister's voice but when he turned his head and saw he was standing just outside Yuuri and Yurio's room, his frown deepened in confusion. It sounded a lot like Mila but it couldn't be. Her shared room with Georgi was all the way down the hall, what would she be doing here? Was her pestering of Yurio really going to start this early?

He jumped when a sudden "Ow!" came from the other side of the door and he recognised it instantly as the voice of his Yuuri. He then heard the giggling voice go "Sorry! Sit still, just a little more…" and he sprang to the door, ready to throw it open. He had no clue what was happening in there but whatever it was, he needed to rescue his boyfriend from whatever horrors his two youngest siblings were inflicting on him.

"Yuuri!" He burst out as he charged into the room, brandishing his towel like it was a limp sword. "What are you two doing to hi-"

Victor froze, his eyes going wide as he took in the sight before him. Yuuri was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Mila kneeling behind him, brandishing a clip that she had been about to pin in Yuuri's hair. The floor around the two of them was littered with hairbands and bobby pins and Yuuri was dutifully holding up a hairbrush and comb in his hand where Mila could grab it if she needed. Yurio was splayed across his bed behind them, his fingers tapping at his phone as he stared at the screen. He only looked up briefly when Victor entered and he looked over at the other two on the floor with a sniff before his attention went back to his phone. Victor wasn't staring at him however. His eyes were focused only on his boyfriend and he was enraptured.

Yuuri's jet black hair had been pinned in a variety of different ways all over his head that combined to make a very odd fluffy hairstyle. Some of the locks had been pinned into little tufts that stood up freely like little trees whilst others had little colourful clips on them that twisted his hair into curls and popped out from his black tresses. It looked like his hair had been attacked by a swarm of preschool girls and Victor almost clutched at his heart. He had noticed Yuuri's hair had grown a little longer than normal, making it look even messier but he hadn't commented on it, seemingly not bothered by the change so Victor had never pointed it out. He found he quite liked the longer hair; it reminded him of when his hair had been long and had flown past his shoulders like molten silver and he enjoyed playing with it when he and Yuuri had a moment to cuddle up to each other. Now, he never wanted Yuuri to get it cut ever again because the vision in front of him was just too cute for words.

"Yuuri!" He squealed as he fell to his knee in front of him, his mouth in a wide heart-shaped grin as he gathered his boyfriend into his arms, causing the Japanese man to loudly squeak and bobby pins to fly everywhere. "You look so cute! I could just squeeze you forever!"

"Eww stop being so gross!" Yurio spat from the bed, pretending to gag as Victor happily rubbed his cheek against Yuuri's. The dark-haired man had gone bright red but he was giggling as he tried to wriggle free from Victor's tight grip and when his arms did loosen, he turned his head to place a quick peck to the corner of Victor's mouth. "Why do you have to be so disgusting in my presence?!"

"I'm sorry Yurio," Victor answered, not sounding sorry in the least. "But Yuuri just looks so adorable, I couldn't resist!" He was tightly gripping him again, one hand straying upwards to curl into the mop of hair but a sharp pinch to his arm made him quickly withdraw.

"Don't touch it!" Mila scolded him, shaking a finger at him like a schoolteacher and sounding just as strict as Yakov. "I spent ages getting it to look like that and I'm not having you ruin it! Now step away from him so I can finish!"

Victor pouted, only clinging tighter to Yuuri despite his quiet protests before he realised something. "Why are you doing Yuuri's hair?"

Mila just snorted. "I brought some new things for my hair and I wanted to play around with them but I went to the bathroom earlier and Georgi had already taken the mirror…" She rolled her eyes as Victor gave a groan. They both knew nobody was getting near the bathroom for the next half an hour at least. "So I thought 'Well Mila, who has the next best hair to yours?' Well clearly it's my beloved Yuri…"

She went to ruffle the head of her teenage brother but he quickly swatted her hand away. "Get off my hair you bitch!" He shouted after her but Mila laughed like it was nothing, ignoring how both her brothers were giving her put-out looks.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Victor pouted again.

"Sorry Victor but it's a little short for this," Mila said before a wicked grin went across her face. "And besides, it is getting a little thin…"

"What?!" Victor looked horrified as both his hands went up to his hair like he could stop it from falling out just by holding it there. "Is that true?!" When Mila gave a solemn nod and Yurio just smirked, he looked close to wailing out loud. "No! It can't be! I'm going to go bald!"

"Victor, you're not going bald." Yuuri went to calm him by gently peeling Victor's fingers from his hair and stroking through the strands. "And I think you have really pretty hair…"

Victor's face dramatically switched from horrified to delighted in less than a second and he looked ready to burst with joy as he squeezed Yuuri to the point where he had to gasp for air. Mila quickly yanked him away, fearful for her creation, and she went back to fiddling with his hair as she continued her story from where she had left off, ignoring how crestfallen Victor looked now Yuuri had been dragged out of cuddling reach.

"Anyway, Yuri wasn't enamoured with the idea but Yuuri here," She patted his cheek lightly with the comb she was using before she returned it to the locks at the nape of his neck. "He said I could use his hair and we were talking and here we are! Have I mentioned how super sweet he is, I can't believe you were keeping him all to yourself Vitya! And look, isn't he cute?" She suddenly gushed, holding up a mirror so Yuuri could see his hair from every angle.

Victor beamed when Yuuri took the mirror and shyly thanked Mila, his cheeks going pink when she hugged him too. He once again felt floored by how easily Yuuri had endeared himself to another of his siblings. It was like he had a knack for it and Victor couldn't have been prouder of him. If he hadn't already been planning on marrying him, he thought, he would have decided on it in that very moment. Heck, he might have even proposed if the ring hadn't been safely hidden away in the other room.

"We need to take photos of this!" He suddenly announced, reaching for Yuuri's phone on his table whilst Mila whipped her own out of her pocket. Yuuri's face suddenly went from shyly smiling to sheer panic in less than a second and he tried to get up and run but Mila, who was far stronger than she looked, grabbed his arm and pinned him in place.

"C'mon Yuuri, we need to show the world how cute you look!" She grinned almost wolfishly as she held up the camera. Yuuri's cheeks were bright red as he tried to hide but with both Mila and Victor attacking him, his attempts proved futile as he was trapped between them. He shot a pleading glance at Yurio, begging him to come and help but the teenager just huffed and looked away. He had already learned from experience that there was no point fighting those two. They always got their way, no matter what.

"Oh, look at this one! It's so adorable!" Victor smiled fondly as he swiped through some of the pictures he had taken. "I'm going to send this to Phichit, he would love it!"

"NO!" Yuuri shouted but it was already too late; Victor had already messaged his best friend the picture along with a string of sparkling heart emojis. Phichit's response was almost instant, sending back a whole message of heart-eyed and crying emojis before screaming in capitals that Yuuri was the cutest thing he had ever seen.

"See? I told you!" Victor beamed as Yuuri groaned, holding his head in his hands as Mila peered over his shoulder.

"That is a cute one!" She agreed before starting to hurriedly tap on her own phone. "Hey, send him this one too! He can decide which one is better!"

"That's a great idea!"

"NOOOOO!"

OOO

A few hours later, after Phichit had been sent over thirty photos of Yuuri and the only consensus that had been reached between the three was that Yuuri was too good and pure for this world, they all were ushered to morning practise by Yakov. The older Russian had looked shocked when he saw Mila being so friendly with Yuuri, especially when she had turned up to practise almost leaning on him and fluffing his now clip-free hair up like she did with Yurio. He had scowled a little at it but he hadn't said a word, mainly because she was leaving Yurio alone and that meant he wasn't spitting at everything that moved. That was one small mercy they were all glad of.

For Yuuri, that day's practise seemed more exhausting than usual. With the Grand Prix drawing ever closer, he was pushing himself to perfect both his routines, running through Eros again and again until the footwork came to him as easily as breathing and then running over his quadruple flip for his free skate until his legs felt bruised all over from their constant impact on the ice. It felt like there was more pressure on him now; not only had he found out that he would be facing both Phichit and Georgi in the Cup of China but he would also be battling Yurio back in Russia when he made his senior debut. Victor had been given two other events which had both relieved and saddened him; he knew he would have a better chance of getting through if Victor wasn't at his events but there was still a part of him that wanted to be there, both competing against him and cheering him on. He knew Victor felt the same way as he had hugged him tightly and pouted when the news came through but he had quickly recovered with a sunny smile.

"That just means we'll get to face each other in the final," He had said, nuzzling into his cheek as he cuddled him from behind. "I know we're both going to be there, it will be a fun skate-off, hmm?"

Yuuri had agreed, wanting to see Victor smile, and the realisation had only made him more determined to get through to the final and give Victor a run for his money. However, the downside of that was that it also made him more worried. What if he wasn't good enough? What if he didn't make it and he disappointed Victor? He didn't think he could have stomached that and so he continued to push himself, practising his jumps and steps over and over again until Yuri close to forced him to take a break, snapping at him "Don't you dare fucking faint! I want to beat your sorry ass fair and square at the Rostelecom Cup and I can't do that if you skate yourself to death! Take a damn break you idiot!"

That had made Yuuri smile, even though it was part of the reason why this practise had seemed even more bone-tiring; Victor's family wouldn't leave him alone. Yuuri wasn't used to having so much attention when he was practising. Back at home, he would normally be alone when he was at the Ice Castle, skating at odd hours so there was less of a chance that somebody would walk in. When he had moved to Detroit and then St Petersburg, he had practised in larger groups but that had been OK as he had just been one face in the crowd that people had skimmed over. Even training with Victor hadn't been this bad as it had only been those two and Victor had acted like more of a coach than an observer. However, here it felt like there were always eyes on him, either wanting to observe him on the ice or eager to grab his attention. It had been fine when it had just been him and Yurio practising on the ice and getting lost in their shared ballet experiences and it had still been OK when Georgi had been asking him about relationships and poetry every few minutes but now with Mila's attention on him too, it was almost overwhelming.

It felt like whenever he stopped to breathe, one of them would pounce on him; either Yurio would be asking to go over a technique, Georgi would be asking him if he would read his poetry (there were so many sheets of it, Yuuri wondered how he found the time to write it) or Mila would be asking him questions about his relationship with Victor that he swore were staining his cheeks permanently scarlet (for someone who had been so embarrassed about seeing his naked body, she certainly wasn't shy in asking for explicit details). Whilst he liked the fact that the three of them had so willingly embraced his presence and also seemed to consider him a threat from the way they carefully watched his skating, it still felt a little stifling and keeping up with them was a full-time job itself. The Russians always seemed to speak faster when they got excited and sometimes after a conversation, he could feel his head reeling from the effort of keeping up with the conversation. His attention had been grabbed so often by those three that he had barely even spoken to Victor or Yakov. The Russian coach had seemed fine with that, perfectly content to act like he was ignoring the Japanese skater whilst keeping a close eye on him but Victor he could tell had been annoyed by it. Yakov, in an attempt to stop him from pulling a stunt like he had yesterday, had been working him extra hard all day and it wasn't until they all finally stepped off the ice that Yuuri finally had the opportunity to approach him.

The pair deliberately lingered as the others packed up, not looking at each other as if just seeing the other's face would cause them to break. It wasn't until the loud fast-paced Russian had faded away and they could no longer hear Yurio's cursing did Yuuri finally turn his head. Victor did the same thing and for a brief second, they just stared at each other before Yuuri all but tumbled into Victor's arms. He buried his face in the man's shoulder and he felt Victor's strong arms clutch him tightly, close to shuddering with the strain of holding him so close to his body. They both let out a sigh. Now they were finally alone at the edge of the ice, it felt like they were only now letting out a breath they had been holding in since that morning.

"Are you OK?" Yuuri asked softly, his voice muffled by Victor's jacket.

Victor nodded, his face buried in Yuuri's hair like he was trying to absorb his scent and his hands fisted in Yuuri's clothes. "I missed you."

Yuuri just nodded into the crook of his neck. Any other time, he would have made a joke about him being on the other side of the rink the whole time but he knew he could hardly talk; he had felt the exact same way.

The pair were silent for a few moments, just content to hold each other and make up for lost time until Yuuri poked his head up and smiled at his boyfriend. "Hey Victor," He asked. "Do you want to go somewhere with me? Just the two of us?"

Victor's smile was almost glowing as he kissed Yuuri's forehead and grinned down at him. "Of course I do!" He said, his voice already sounding excited. "I'd want to go anywhere with you!" He giggled when Yuuri blushed and he couldn't help himself from pressing two additional kisses to each cheek; after a whole day of not being able to get near him, he felt like he couldn't get enough. "Where were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of going up to the castle," Yuuri answered, feeling his nervousness about asking the question fade away in the face of Victor's smile. "I did promise to take you after all…"

"Perfect!" Victor beamed as he untangled himself from Yuuri and raced to the door. "I'll go get Maccachin, I owe him a nice long walk after today and oh do you think I should grab a thicker coat, I read something about chilly Japanese nights…"

Yuuri chuckled fondly as he watched his boyfriend run ahead, following behind at his own relaxed pace with his muscles still wincing a little from training. He was glad Victor had suggested going back to their rooms himself; he needed to go back and find a way of carefully sneaking the ring into his pocket without Victor noticing. He was just trying to think of a way of neatly rolling it in when a loud bang made him jerk his head up. Victor was standing in front of the glass doors, a hand over his nose and a cheery smile fixed on his face as he turned to wave at Yuuri.

"I'm fine!" He announced happily, trying desperately to hide the fact that he had been so excited about going somewhere with Yuuri, he had walked straight into a glass door without noticing. Yuuri just stared at him and sighed when he saw two bright red droplets ooze out from under Victor's hand.

Maybe he wouldn't need to be sneaky at all.

OOO

Hasetsu Castle was even more beautiful than Yuuri remembered. By the time the two of them had gotten back to the inn, patched up Victor's nose (whilst calming down his family members and insisting it wouldn't impact his skating), retrieved an eager Maccachin and walked up the hill to the castle, it was already late evening and the sun was dropping closer and closer to the dip of the horizon. Yuuri couldn't recall ever being up here this late; in the past, he had mainly visited the castle on morning runs and he had to admit, the dim morning light cast nothing like the sight before him. The grounds looked like the set of a movie, with the castle reaching up above them against the backdrop of a peach-coloured sky that was such a bright shade of orange, it looked like it had been painted. The elaborate building cast a long shadow over the gardens, darkening some of the cherry blossom trees so they looked like silhouettes whilst others were still basking in what was left of the light, their creamy petals dusted with pink turning an elegant rose gold. More petals were scattering the paths, making it look like a bride was coming their way as they made a carpet of soft flakes ruffled like feathers by the slight evening breeze. Maccachin was in his element, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth as he chased the petals down the pathway, occasionally stopping to look back at the two men to make sure they were still with him before carrying on like before. Yuuri laughed as he dived head first into a little mountain of the petals, emerging cutely with some stuck to his face like unmelted snowflakes.

"He acts just like a puppy sometimes." He commented, hearing Victor give a breathy chuckle beside him as they both watched his antics. "Are you sure he's really twelve?"

"He certainly is, I've had him all those years so I would know." Victor laughed, his fingers squeezing around Yuuri's as he swung their linked hands gently between them. "I can still remember getting him. I'd only just moved in with Papa and he said he wanted me to feel at home so one day I just came back with a puppy I'd bought with some pocket money I'd saved up. He nearly blew up at me but when I said it was to help me feel at home, he just went quiet and didn't complain again. He was a real help back then, weren't you Macca?" He bent over to pet the poodle with his free hand as Maccachin ran back at the sound of his name and hurled himself at his master. Yuuri smiled as Victor bent down further to get a faceful of licks, laughing with his mouth open even with the danger of Maccachin accidentally licking his open mouth.

"So, you just went out and brought a puppy all by yourself? Why am I not surprised…" Yuuri rolled his eyes, giggling when Victor stood up and pouted at him.

"I have no idea what you mean." He said, flicking his fringe back and trying to sound offended, even though it was obvious to them both that he was trying to suppress a grin. "And anyway, didn't you get Vicchan as a puppy too?"

"Yeah I did." Yuuri replied, smiling as the sweet memory resurfaced. "I must have badgered my mum and dad to a breaking point because I remember one day returning from school and seeing this little fluffy puppy in the hallway, ready to greet me… I didn't want to go to sleep that night in case it was a dream. I was so happy in the morning when I woke up and saw he was still there, I cried. I think Mari took pictures." He gave a laugh at the memory before catching Victor's knowing smile out of the corner of his eye. "And stop giving me that look, you already know I named him after you. Mari wouldn't stop teasing me once she found out." He gave a wistful smile as he stared straight ahead, watching as Maccachin continued to send clouds of petals flying into the air. "Vicchan lived to about ten years old. I bet Maccachin would have loved him."

"Yeah, he would have loved a little playmate." Victor smiled, thinking of what it would be like to have a tiny version of Maccachin bouncing around the place. "I think the first thing I heard you properly talk about was Vicchan."

"It was, wasn't it?" Yuuri pondered, his mind wandering back to that first embarrassing day at the rink in St Petersburg where he had managed to run away from Victor in panic, hit his head on a wall and then get dragged away by the man he had tried to hide from to find an ice pack. He had been ready to curl up into a ball and let the ground swallow him up when he had first seen the Russian skater on the ice and he gave a giggle. "I really had no clue you were going to be there, I must have been a real mess."

"You were so adorable," Victor beamed, his smile growing wider with every second as he reminisced and slowly pulled Yuuri closer so their shoulders were touching. "Your cheeks were so red and you kept stammering… it was the cutest thing ever! And I was also really happy to see you. After the banquet, you just disappeared and I thought I wasn't going to see you again until the next year's competition." He turned slightly towards Yuuri and his face was soft as he shot the other man a wink. "Out of all the rinks in the world, I'm really glad you picked mine."

Yuuri softly smiled back, feeling his heart pound in his chest like it was going to combust. He wasn't sure how he managed to speak afterwards as his stomach felt full of butterflies trying to fight their way out, but he somehow softly answered "Me too." When Victor grinned back, his skin caught by the ebbing golden light, he knew this would be the perfect time to do it. The butterflies inside him were getting more and more frantic as he let go of Victor's hand to dive both into his pockets, trying to be covert in searching for the ring as he held back, watching as Victor stepped just ahead of him, staring forwards in complete obliviousness.

Alright, now I just have to get on one knee… Yuuri thought as his fist finally closed around the elusive golden band and he almost fell to the floor, getting himself quickly into position. His fingers were shaking slightly as he held them out in front of him and he could feel his mouth going dry but he steeled his nerves and took a deep breath.

"Hey Vic-" He went to call out Victor's name but then, without warning, a large fluffy lump suddenly crashed into his side, knocking the air from his lungs and slamming him harshly onto the ground. Before Yuuri could try to react to the blow, his face was assaulted with a flurry of long sloppy licks and it only took him a few seconds to realise what exactly had hampered his plans.

"Maccachin! Get off me, I'm not playing right now!" He cried out, unable to move under the wriggling figure of the dog above him, who was so happy that one of his humans was playing with him that his whole body was wagging with his tail. Yuuri struggled underneath him, trying to fend off his tongue as he fought to be free, thinking there still might be a chance if Victor hadn't seen. However, he then heard a loud burst of sunny laughter and Maccachin was finally lifted off him as he turned to lick the face of his other human. Yuuri quickly shoved the ring back into his pocket just before Victor turned to his sprawled-out figure on the floor, still laughing at the sight of his boyfriend panting after his wrestling match with the large standard poodle.

"Looks like he's stronger than I thought." The silver-haired man laughed as he offered a hand that Yuuri gratefully took, his cheeks pink from both exertion and embarrassment. "He really is doing well for twelve."

"I'd say so." Yuuri sighed as he stared down at Maccachin, who was now sitting on Victor's feet and looking up at him innocently like he hadn't just sabotaged his proposal. His eyes were full of innocence as he looked back up at him and Yuuri just sighed again. He couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed at the old dog; he had just wanted to play after all. He should have brought a toy with him or something just to keep him distracted then maybe…

"Hey Yuuri! Come look at this!"

Yuuri was shaken from his thoughts as Victor suddenly took off, his hand once again in his tight grip as he ran off to the edge of the gardens with Maccachin barking at their heels. He came to a sudden stop just in front of the low stone wall that ringed the garden. It stopped just before a steep drop and Yuuri caught a quick glimpse of it as he was halted just in front of the wall, nearly crashing his knees into the knobbly stone in his haste to stop. He drew back a step, his breathing slightly heavy both from the running and his sudden panic- for a moment it had looked like Victor was going to hurl them off the edge and he wasn't sure if he could have pulled him back.

"Careful!" Victor's voice came from his left, sounding slightly panicked himself as he yanked Yuuri into his side and held him in place. "I can't have you falling for anything but me!"

"Victor!" Yuuri laughed at how sappy Victor was being, the adrenaline in his system subsiding as Victor nuzzled into him again, the tip of his nose rubbing softly against the back of his ear. He pulled away a little, just enough so he could turn around a little but he held onto Victor's arms so they were still wrapped loosely around him, draped over his body like a warm scarf. They stayed like that for a moment, savouring the warmth and peace of their surroundings before Victor slowly trailed one hand up to Yuuri's chin and angled it so he was staring straight ahead at the same place he was.

"That's what I wanted you to look at Yuuri. Can you see it?"

Yuuri could only nod in response, his chest feeling too tight to respond with words as he stared out over the view before him. It was one he had seen before, sure, in flashes as he ran past or blurred in the fog of the early morning but now, it felt like something had been stripped from his eyes and he was seeing it for the first time. The town was patterned out below him, looking almost like a tapestry that someone had lovingly stitched together. The bright blocks of colour from the rooftops of the buildings were woven together by the threads of the roads that were coloured a dusty beige against the splashes of grey and red. The treetops dotted around like pompoms looked soft and fluffy from all the way up there and the wide expanse of blue ocean cuddling the shore looked like velvet. The sky above them was now a darker shade of orange, throwing shadows over the scene that somehow made the colours pop artificially bright, in deep rich colours Yuuri had only thought were possible in oil paintings. He could feel his eyes widen, wanting to soak up as much of the colour as possible, and he was smiling so widely, his cheeks felt close to splitting. He had never seen Hasetsu in this light before and it made his heart swell with pride for his hometown and the fact that he got to share it with Victor.

"It's beautiful." He whispered finally, his mind not sure how long he had spent just staring and he felt more than heard Victor chuckling beside him, the vibrations of his chest rumbling against his back.

"It is, isn't it?" He answered, his voice sounding suspiciously close to Yuuri's ear. He turned his head slightly and found himself staring into ice blue eyes that were filled to the brim with adoration. Realising Victor hadn't been talking about the town, Yuuri's cheeks coloured and he quickly looked away.

"Victor!" He close to squealed, his voice coming out in a much higher pitch than he had planned. He groaned as Victor giggled at him, embracing him tighter so he could dip and kiss his cheek.

"Sorry Yuuri!" He cooed at him, not really sounding sorry as all as he adjusted their position so they could face each other. "I can't help myself when you're this stunning. You have no idea what you do to me…"

He peppered more kisses along Yuuri's cheekbones as the Japanese skater just laughed and half-heartedly tried to push him away. He could still see the view of the town from the corner of his eyes, the colours still vivid and glowing like jewels despite the encroaching darkness and he smiled at how fitting it was that Victor had been the one to show him this. Before he had met the Russian skater, everything had seemed mundane, like everything around him was muted and he couldn't make it change. He had thrown his everything into his skating, the one thing he felt he was good at, and his mind had largely dwelled on negatives- the amount of times he had fallen during practise would haunt him long into the night after and a taunting name would stick to his skin for weeks. He had believed skating and dancing were the only places he could lose himself but after meeting Victor, he knew now that that had never been true. Victor had brought so much colour into his world by making him appreciate things he hadn't seen before. He had never realised how big the web of love and support that surrounded him was and when he had, he had been close to tears thinking of how he might never have seen it without Victor. His heart pounded once again as his hand slowly reached between them and closed firmly around the ring in his pocket, no need to fumble this time. This time, surely, it would be perfect.

"Victor…" He said softly, his voice quiet but still firm enough to make Victor pause in lavishing affection on him and draw back a little. Yuuri could see the surprise in the man's eyes at his more serious tone but he was silent as Yuuri reassuringly smiled up at him and wove his arms around his neck. Tradition be damned, Yuuri thought, his fist curled around the ring, there was no way he was getting back on the floor and being tackled again. This had to go perfectly.

"Yes, Yuuri?" He asked, his breath feather-light as it dances on Yuuri's skin. He can feel his arms are trembling again but he manages to lock them around Victor's neck, calming himself once again so he can look up into Victor's eyes.

"There's something I want to ask you…" He starts, pausing as he feels the weight of his questions on his lips. He takes a breath, ready to let the words fall from his mouth and change his world forever but just before he could say them, a loud ringing suddenly filled the air around them. They both jumped as the familiar sound of Victor's phone ringing destroyed the silence and Victor hurriedly let go of Yuuri as he scrambled to get the phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" He brought the phone up to his ear with a look of confusion before the person on the other end spoke and he started speaking in Russian, his words so fast Yuuri could barely keep up with them despite his practise from the last few days. He stood there, feeling dazed as his brain tried to catch up with what happened. Had he really just been foiled twice in the space of a few minutes? He gave a groan as he once again hid the ring in his pocket. Maybe this wasn't the right place after all if it somehow seemed to hate him…

"OK, OK, we're heading back now. See you in a minute." Yuuri caught the end of Victor's conversation, the Russian's words full of frustration as he ended the call and looked back at Yuuri apologetically. "That was Mila- Yakov's throwing a fit because he hasn't seen us and I think he wants to go over my routines once more so the choreography will get the highest score…" He let out a groan as he ungraciously shoved the phone away like he couldn't bear the sight of it for one moment longer. "I'm so sorry Yuuri but it looks like we'll have to get back now. I wish we could have stayed out longer, I really wanted this time with you." His face looked like a kicked puppy's and Yuuri broke out of his trance so he could pull him closer for a hug.

"It's OK," He said, ruffling the hairs on the back of his head as he kissed his cheek to make the man smile again. "I'm glad we got to have this much time honestly. It was good to have you all to myself again after having to share you with your family."

Victor visibly preened as he cuddled Yuuri closer, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. "How did I get someone so understanding?" He asked, his voice awed like he couldn't believe his luck. "And amazing and sweet and hot as fu-"

"Alright, I get it!" Yuuri laughed at his boyfriend as Victor untangled himself from Yuuri with a sly smile and wove their hands together again. "We should get going, you don't want Yakov angrier than he already is."

"Yeah, we don't want that!" Victor grinned as they made their way back through the gardens, Maccachin lolloping along beside them. "Anyway, what did you want to ask me Yuuri?"

As they exited the garden, Yuuri glanced down and his and Victor's entwined hands. He smiled, thinking about how well they slotted into each other, like his hand was made to be held by Victor's. The sight was almost perfect; he just wished the gold band that was currently sitting in his pocket was resting on Victor's finger.

"It doesn't matter," He told Victor, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "It can wait for another time."


	10. Chapter 10

_So... it's been a while huh? I know it's been over a month since I last updated this story and I'm sorry for that but recently my uni work has been building up on me and I've also started a new job which has really been draining my writing energy. Still I'm determined to get this finished and I hope this nice long chapter (seriously I thought this would never end) makes up for the wait. Please enjoy and leave a review!_

As soon as they got back, Yakov was once again on Victor's case. When Victor and Yuuri had found their way back to the hot springs, it had been long after dark and the Russian man had been waiting for them at the door, looking so angry Yuuri had almost expected him to erupt like a volcano on the spot. Victor had tried to brush it off with his usual breeziness, greeting his father with such a wide grin it would have looked mocking to anyone who didn't know the man, but that had all changed when Yakov had gotten down to business.

He really hadn't been joking when he said Victor's routines needed improving; what the skater had put together was nowhere close to his level and he had winced when Yakov had scolded him like a schoolboy for focusing on artistry over getting the basic points he needed. Victor couldn't help it; he often never thought about scoring when he choreographed for himself, he just let the ice and the music take him where he wanted and then sorted the fiddly stuff out later. However, he had been so caught up with Yuuri and his routines, not to mention this trip and his planned proposal, and it had completely slipped his forgetful mind. It was moments like that when he was grateful to Yakov. The man really didn't let anything slip and, despite his sometimes abrasive methods, he always got the best from his students.

However, because the Grand Prix was now so near and they didn't have much time left, Victor had spent hours with Yakov modifying his routines, their bickering over jump placements and spins drawing long into the night. Victor had been tired but unwilling to compromise; they were his routines and he wanted them to reflect what he wanted. It had taken a long time before they finally agreed and when Victor went to go check up on Yuuri (who had disappeared almost the moment Yakov had started yelling with enough volume to wake up the whole inn) he found the Japanese man fast asleep. He had been confused for a moment until he had looked up at the clock and seen that it was close to 3am. That had surprised him; yes he had known it was late but he hadn't realised it was that late. He had stood in the doorway of Yuuri and Yurio's shared room for a moment, listening to Yuuri's soft snores and snuffles as he burrowed his face in his pillow and Yurio's sleepy sounds that sounded suspiciously like grumbling as he stared up at the clock, blinking at the face like if it he did it enough times, it would switch to a more reasonable time. He wasn't even tired, yet the clock was still glaring the same time at him, almost like it was demanding he go to bed.

It was at that point where Victor had a brainwave. I have to get up for practise in a couple of hours anyway, he thought as he trotted back to his room where Maccachin had weaselled his way in and then promptly fallen asleep on his doggy bed. I just won't go to sleep! It's perfect!

In hindsight, that had proved to be the worst idea of his life.

At first, he had been fine. He had scrolled through Instagram for a while, liking Chris's recent posts from his pole classes and Phichit's from where he was still skating back in St Petersburg. He had started following the Thai skater when Yuuri had appeared at his rink, mainly for the frequent pictures the younger man uploaded of Yuuri and Phichit had not disappointed; nearly all his training pictures had his best friend in them somewhere, either skating in the background or hugged to his side, and Victor still squealed in delight with each new one. He spent a good hour going back through Phichit's profile, looking at all the pictures of Yuuri and even discovering a few from when he had trained in Detroit before the last Grand Prix. Most of those were ones Victor had seen but he still squealed anyway- younger Yuuri with shorter hair and a little more shyness and pudge was just as adorable as the Yuuri he knew now. He had then put some music on as he watched the sun trail across his bedroom floor in a big orange square, humming along to the tunes of his old skating programmes as he waited for his alarm to go off. Almost the second he heard the blaring sound, he switched it off and sprinted to the bathroom, making it there just before a sleep-fuddled Georgi. Victor had never seen his brother look so confused as the bathroom door was closed in his face and he had wickedly grinned throughout his long shower. Maybe he would consider getting up early more often.

The tiredness only started to hit him as he, along with his family and Yuuri, began to make their way up to the Ice Castle. As he forced himself to take each step forwards, his legs felt like lead and he had to keep fighting his jaw to stop himself from loudly yawning. He knew that despite being first in the bathroom, he didn't look as immaculate as usual and at one point he looked up to see Yuuri was staring at him with concern pooling in his shimmering eyes. Victor blinked. From this angle and in this light, Yuuri's eyes could have been garnets and they were so beautiful he could only gape at them in response.

"Victor?" Yuuri asked him worriedly. "Are you OK?"

Victor blinked again, mainly to keep his eyes open. His eyelids were betraying him- they kept wanting to close and deny him any sight of Yuuri's face. "I'm fine Yuuri." He shot a smile at him. "Still not used to this walk though."

Yuuri laughed and held his hand out. "C'mon, it's not much further." He had promised with a warm smile. Victor had close to scrambled for his hand, forcing his legs to move faster so he could walk alongside his beloved and swing their entwined hands between them. He could feel the weight of Yakov's stare on both their hands and his back but he found that he couldn't find it in himself to care. Or maybe that was the tiredness again.

He had only gotten worse when he had stepped onto the ice. It was painfully obvious to everyone there he was off his game; even Yurio was looking at him with worry in his narrowed eyes. He had stumbled around the rink in his warm up laps, his toe picks catching so much, he looked like he was deliberately trying to scar the ice. Then when he had tried a simple toe loop, he had flubbed it so badly his body thudded when he hit the ice, making Yuuri give a shout because he thought he had broken something. The sound and the shock of the cold through Victor's clothing had been a surprise; he couldn't remember the last time he had fallen on something that simple. Apparently Yakov couldn't either as the older Russian's jaw was nearly on the floor as he stared at his eldest son.

"Victor! What's the matter with you?!" He had yelled over to him just before he saw the way Victor wobbled exhaustedly as he went to get up and his brow creased. "Did you get any sleep last night?!"

He caught the guilty expression on Victor's face and let out a groan. "Victor! I don't believe you!" He rubbed at his eyes with his fingers, watching as Victor skated over to him. His eyes now had a clear red ring around them and he looked close to passing out right there on the ice. "This is my fault; I knew I should have waited until today to go over those routines. I thought you would be tired but I didn't think you'd be ridiculous enough to not sleep at all… Go back to the inn Victor. You need to rest today and we'll work extra hard on your skating tomorrow. I don't want to see you anywhere near the ice today."

"But…" Victor had tried to protest but Yakov had just glared at him. Realising that was the end of the conversation, Victor had trudged back to the inn on his own. Yuuri had wanted to go with him but the rest of his siblings had insisted he stay behind. Victor had agreed with them; there was no way he was going to let his reckless decision affect Yuuri's chances at the Grand Prix. He had still missed his precious love though. He hadn't even bothered to make it back to his own bedroom; instead he had flopped onto the pile of blankets that Yuuri had been sleeping in the past few nights on the floor of the bedroom he shared with Yurio. He had happily snuggled in, rubbing his face into the mount of soft fabric that smelled so much of Yuuri's shampoo and his cologne and so much like the Japanese man himself, Victor wondered if he could sneak them out of the inn without having them washed. He hadn't got far in that plan however, as he fell asleep moments after collapsing.

A few hours later, he woke up feeling refreshed… and totally bored. He was still lying there in the cocoon of blankets, draping himself over the top like he was posing for a painting. At one point, he had gone and changed into one of the inn's green robes to keep cool but that plan had gone out of the window when Maccachin came to join him, flopping his fluffy body over Victor so he was even hotter than before. He hadn't moved to shove him off though; in fact, he hadn't moved a muscle since changing, leaving his training clothes scrunched in a ball at his feet. Instead he had just been staring up at the walls of Yuuri's bedroom. Sadly, the posters of himself Phichit had told him and then sworn him to secrecy about were no longer there but there were still a few family pictures he could look at with a smile. Most of them showed a happy beaming Yuuri and his heart warmed at the sight of them. Even though he wasn't here right now, those were the next best thing.

He stared up at the clock and frowned at the time. It was only mid-afternoon so he knew the others wouldn't be back from the rink for a while yet. Yuuri also liked to stay behind and work on his own so it might be even longer until he got to see his adorable face and pretty eyes. Victor pouted at that. He would have given up anything just to have Yuuri curled up by his side in that moment, his cheek snuggled into his chest and Victor's arms around him and maybe, just maybe, a ring on his finger?

Victor gave a loud groan as he tossed his head to the side. He had never anticipated proposing would be so hard. It was simply a matter of waiting for the right moment, then getting the ring out, asking the question, Yuuri saying yes and then the two of them having their happily ever after, complete with the perfect wedding he had planned and lots of adopted poodles. He was certain that if it hadn't been for his family, he would have already done it by now. The perfect opportunity would have come up, surely? He pondered as he turned his head to look up at the ceiling. I hope it still does, he admitted silently, not even wanting to say it out loud. The truth was, he was stumped for ideas on how to make it perfect; he had no idea what to do next.

This was incredibly frustrating. Victor never ran out of ideas; he was usually bursting with them. He always knew what step to put in his routine, he always knew what would be the perfect picture for Instagram, he always came up with something new and exciting to surprise people with, even if it was just something like cutting his long hair off. It was what he lived on and yet when it came to this, he was clueless. Everything he thought of was either too cliché, too much or just plain impossible (after all, there was no way on Earth he could ship that many roses over and what would they do with them afterwards?). He rolled over crossly, ignoring Maccachin as he yelped and sprang off him. He was too consumed in his thoughts to notice. He had no idea why he couldn't do this. Yuuri was his inspiration, his life and love and he just wanted to show him how special he was to him. Why was that so damn hard?

He let out another frustrated groan and threw himself back on his back when he heard the door creak the tiniest bit open. Maccachin instantly barked and ran to the door, nuzzling it to widen the gap as he was greeted with a laugh and a pet. Victor lifted his head up, hoping against hope that it was Yuuri returning home early, but instead he found himself looking up into the kind face of Mrs Katsuki. She looked down at him, her mouth open in surprise at finding him sprawled out on her son's floor but she seemed to take it in her stride as she gave him a wide smile and a wave. He gleefully returned it, watching how Maccachin bounded around her happily with his tongue hanging out. He was drooling a little but Mrs Katsuki didn't seem to mind. Nothing seemed to faze the woman at all as she started lightly dusting around the room, gently stepping around the excited dog whilst being careful with the many objects lying around that Victor knew belonged to Yurio. She treated them with great care, placing them back down in the exact same position so no one would have been able to tell that they had been moved. If Victor hadn't been a witness to her cleaning, he would have almost said it was done by magic.

He watched her quietly for a few moments, a feeling of awkwardness growing inside him as he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure if he should say something; despite being with Yuuri for a while, he didn't know a word of Japanese and he was certain she knew no Russian. His English was good but he had no idea how much of it she spoke- what if he said something and offended her by making her feel stupid? He didn't want to do that yet at the same time, he felt like he couldn't just lie there and do nothing. This was his future mother-in-law if he played his cards right, he didn't want to come off as stuck up and selfish. In the end, he decided to try and get up to help but the second he started to try and struggle out of the blankets, Mrs Katsuki paused and rested her hand on his shoulder to lightly press him back down.

"Hmm?" Victor looked up at her confused as the woman shook her finger at him like she was lightly scolding him. Seeing his expression, she then mimed resting her head on her clasped hands and he finally got it. She was insisting he rest, he realised, almost giving a smile at that. She watched him closely as he settled back into his position on the blankets and it wasn't until he held his hands up to show he wasn't going to move did she return to cleaning. Victor chuckled softly as he went back to observing. I wonder if she's this motherly with everyone? He thought. Knowing Yuuri's kind disposition, he believed she probably was.

He turned his head to the side so he could look back at the family pictures on the wall and he grinned softly as his eyes snagged on his favourite one. It was one of Yuuri with his dog Vicchan, Yuuri on his knees and laughing as the tiny brown puppy jumped up to lick his face. It couldn't have been taken long after they got Vicchan as he was still so tiny and Yuuri still looked a little surprised, his brown eyes wide and glowing as the realisation that he finally owned the dog he wanted still hadn't fully sunken in. He looked so adorable and chubby, his cheeks rosy and round and his eyes sparkling, that Victor just wanted to reach into the picture and scoop him up. He wondered what Yuuri had been like at that age; Yuuri had always said he was painfully shy, mainly spending his time either in his friend's ballet studio or at the rink with his childhood friends. What would it have been like if I had met him at that age? Victor thought with a little smile. It would have been very different but he was certain of one thing; thirteen-year-old Victor would have cooed over nine-year-old Yuuri just as much as he did now. He just wouldn't be able to resist him.

"Victor?"

Victor was suddenly shaken from his daydreaming by a heavily-accented yet still very gentle voice calling his name. He looked up to see Mrs Katsuki was standing back in the doorway but now she was holding an outstretched tray with a black teapot and two cups propped on it. There was steam rising from the spout of the teapot and Victor blinked at it. He had been so engulfed in his musings that he hadn't even noticed she had left the room and his cheeks went pink in embarrassment as she nodded towards the tray in a clear offering.

"Thank you." He said in English, nodding his head in what he hoped was a respectful way as she knelt in front of him and poured out the tea. The fragrant smell caught Victor's nose as he picked up a cup and breathed in the curling steam. He sighed. This was exactly what he needed to relax.

"Vsukno!" He beamed as he took his first sip of the jade-coloured liquid. Mrs Katsuki beamed back, taking a gulp of her own green tea once she was certain he was pleased with it. The silence felt a lot less awkward and more relaxed as they sat there drinking their tea. Maccachin came to lie in-between them and Mrs Katsuki laughed as she ruffled his ears, the large poodle taking full advantage of the attention and rolling onto his belly for more tickles.

"Good boy!" She suddenly said, almost giggling when Maccachin barked at the praise and Victor looked up in surprise. Evidently, she knew more phrases than he had thought; he really should have expected that given that she worked in an inn, he berated himself, momentarily feeling guilty before he was distracted by Mrs Katsuki tapping at a picture on the wall.

"Vicchan." She announced firmly, stabbing at the picture Victor had previously been admiring on the wall before gesturing down at Maccachin who was still laid out on the ground.

Victor grinned as he nodded. "Yes, he does look like Vicchan," He said. "Only bigger!" He motioned something growing with his hands, spreading them further and further apart as he exaggeratedly wriggled his eyebrows until he heard her give another louder laugh. It sounded almost identical to Yuuri's laugh and Victor felt warmth flood the pit of his stomach at the sound. It almost made him wish he was back at practise getting yelled at; at least when he was at the rink, Yuuri was there to cuddle him after Yakov had given him a tough time or sigh at him when he was getting too extravagant for his own good. It was ridiculous; he had only seen him this morning and yet he already missed him so much and just wanted him to be here already.

"Yuuri." As if she could read his mind, Mrs Katsuki then moved her finger to point at the image of her son next to the squirming puppy in the photo. Her mouth broke into a warm smile as she looked at the smiling young boy and Victor could feel a similar smile tug at his lips. He nodded.

"He's so cute in that picture." He sighed and something in his tone must have conveyed what he said as Mrs Katsuki giggled and gave a vigorous nod of her own. She then looked back at him, her brow creased like she was studying him. Victor froze in place, not sure what to do under the gaze of the brown eyes that resembled Yuuri's so much. A long minute passed as she continued to stare at him with that same expression, before she started to speak, her English sounding almost choked as she forced the words out.

"How… you… feel… Yuuri?" She asked, her eyes still firmly locked on him like she was waiting for some aspect of his body language to betray him. Victor stayed still, almost terrified of moving under her heavy gaze as he tried to work out what she meant. Was she asking what Yuuri felt like? He wanted to say heaven but he didn't think Yuuri would thank him for spilling details, especially to his own mother. It took him a moment to realise but when he did, he gave another beaming smile.

"I love Yuuri." He said, first pointing to himself, then to the picture before he brought his hands together to form a heart shape. It was a simple gesture but he knew he had gotten his message across when Mrs Katsuki gave him a smile so wide he was surprised her cheeks didn't snap and clasped her hands together.

Victor suddenly found himself being yanked forwards as she leant towards him and grasped his hands in her own, almost crushing his fingers in her excitement as she babbled to him in happy-sounding Japanese. He caught Yuuri's name several times in her long speech and he couldn't help smiling at the warm feeling spreading in his chest. It seemed like he didn't have to worry about Yuuri's family not liking him- his mother looked overjoyed at the confirmation.

"Wait!" She suddenly cried out in English, her eyes once again flashing sternly for a moment before she jumped up and raced out of the room. Maccachin, thinking this was some new game, barked and went bounding after her but Victor stayed put, not daring to move a muscle. He considered running after Maccachin, partly because he knew how boisterous the poodle could get when excited, but mostly because he could feel his curiosity itching under his skin, desperate to break out. What did Mrs Katsuki want to show him? Had she gone to get something linked with her son or was she preparing to give him the shovel talk? He gulped a little at the latter. Phichit had already given him a talk along those lines and the things the Thai skater had threatened him with still made him shudder a little. He wasn't sure how the man expected to pull half the things off (surely burying him in all those little pieces would just be impractical and he wasn't sure there were that many rinks in Russia) but he had known from the look in his eyes that he would give it a good try.

He tensed when he heard the sound of Maccachin's claws tapping on the floor just before he bounced back into the room but then breathed a sigh of relief when Mrs Katsuki appeared back in the doorway, a smile on her face as she held out a thick brown book. He could feel the smoothness of the leathery cover, well-worn by the many hands it had passed through, as he took it from her and he studied the Japanese words written in black on the front, tracing the lines with his fingertips as he pondered what they meant. Was this some sort of family heirloom? It certainly looked old enough to be. However, all the questions he had been about to ask died in his throat as Mrs Katsuki knelt down beside him and opened the book to its first page, answering every thought in a single swoop.

"Awwww!" Victor felt like his heart was about to explode as he looked down at the single picture that was taped to the page. It showed a younger and slightly slimmer Mrs Katsuki sitting up in a hospital bed; her eyes looked exhausted but her expression was so happy she was close to glowing as she looked down at the bundle of white blankets nestled in her arms. Among the nest of soft whiteness, a round pink face was peering out, reminding Victor of a cherub peering through soft clouds. His skin was a soft delicate pink like a just blooming rose, there was a tiny tuft of inky black hair sitting messily on the top of his head and his baby mouth was stuck in what looked like a tiny pout. His eyes weren't even open yet but Victor knew if they were, they would be the soft chocolate syrup sweet brown he knew and loved. He clutched a hand over his chest and forced his lungs to take a breath as he realised the monumentality of what he was holding in his unworthy hands.

This was Yuuri's baby photo album.

He turned to Mrs Katsuki in amazement and she just smiled at him even wider, her eyes sparkling with the memories the pictures brought back as she turned to the next page. Victor nearly got up to throw himself at her feet, wanting to thank her profusely for revealing this treasure trove to him but he was instantly distracted by the next few pictures.

"AWWWW!" He loudly squealed, not even caring about the sounds he was making anymore as he stared at the next two pictures. The first one showed Yuuri with both his parents still in the hospital room, this time being cradled by his dad as he continued to sleep soundly. The next was even cuter; Yuuri was back in his mother's arms and this time his eyes were open. The big brown eyes that looked surprisingly fawn-coloured were staring up at his mother's face with a look of wonder and his mouth was wide in a frozen giggle as a tiny hand like a baby starfish was stretched out above him like he was already trying to seize the world in his small grip. Victor could feel his eyes forming tears, overwhelmed already by the adorable sight of his Yuuri as a newborn- and they had barely gotten started. Was Mrs Katsuki trying to kill him with cuteness or something? Maybe, he thought as they turned the page again and he squealed even more at a picture of baby Yuuri posing with his older sister. But this is a good way to go.

The two of them slowly pored their way through the album, Mrs Katsuki occasionally pausing to point at a particular favourite and Victor squealing at various pitches with each new discovery. He had learnt a lot from these pictures; firstly, baby Yuuri was always happy. Every photo showed him with a wide smile on his face as he was introduced to something new, whether it was rolling around in cherry blossom petals (Victor had had to take a picture of that one on his phone, it was just too sweet) or just crawling around exploring (a member of Yuuri's family always seemed to be following him with a camera but Victor was hardly going to complain about that), he just always looked happy. The same smile continued through his toddler years and his years as a young child; even though in some pictures, Victor could spot the tell-tale signs of anxiety he had become accustomed to noticing, the smile still remained, even if it did look a little strained.

The second thing he learned was that Yuuri was surrounded by love. In each picture, there was so much of it, it was like he was wrapped in a blanket of it. It wasn't a surprise to Victor; his boyfriend was so lovable, he didn't see how anyone couldn't fall for him at first sight but it warmed his heart to see how much of it was there in the pictures; he felt like if he ran his fingers over the smooth film, it would be warm just from the power of the love that was radiating from the images. He could see it in all the people that featured with Yuuri in the photographs from his parents to his ballet teacher Minako, who was always pinching his cheeks, and his older sister who, even though she had her younger brother in a headlock for one picture, she was still ruffling his hair affectionately. Victor couldn't help but smile fondly as he got his phone out for yet another picture (he had lost track of how many pictures he had taken so far but Mrs Katsuki didn't seem to mind so he wasn't planning on stopping). It reminded him of the days when he had first been adopted by Yakov and when the others had been adopted after him; it had felt like he had only experienced his true childhood in his early teens, when he had finally been part of a family. He didn't like to dwell on his time in the orphanage, preferring to ignore it like it hadn't taken up a large chunk of his life and nearly stolen his soul so many times as well. He chuckled a little when he turned the page again and saw a picture of a four-year-old Yuuri looking ready to go to pre-school, all dressed in a cute little uniform. He was glad Yuuri hadn't had that kind of early life; he knew nobody as sweet and kind as Yuuri would have done well in a place like that.

The third thing he learned about Yuuri was something he already knew and had seen with his own eyes but he had never realised how far back it went and how strong it was; Yuuri really loved ice skating and also really seemed obsessed with Victor. Victor had known Yuuri had started skating really young just for fun as he hung out with his childhood friends and that he had been a fan of his skating since his junior days but when he looked down at the pictures, he suddenly realised he had been underestimating Yuuri's passion for it. He had squealed very loudly and clapped his hands together when he saw Yuuri pictured with his first pair of ice skates (they were so dinky, he wanted to cry) but he had almost dropped the book when he saw a picture of Yuuri standing in front of a wall littered with posters of him. He looked almost bashful at the size of his collection and his nine-year-old face was turned away to look at the posters almost in embarrassment but Victor could still see how his lips were twitched into an admiring smile when he looked at the posters. He must have every poster ever made of me, Victor thought as he ran his fingers over it, almost believing he could feel the ridges of the paper on the walls. There's some on here even I wasn't able to get hold of. He laughed a little when the next photo showed Yuuri obviously trying to push the photographer out of the room, most likely after a teasing remark, and he felt more than heard Mrs Katsuki laugh next to him. She glanced over at him with a gracious smile, seemingly thankful he was taking this news so well, before she went to delve deeper into the book.

There were more photos than Victor could have imagined. There were enough memories there to fill a gallery and Victor would have been very happy to head that exhibition, just to show the world how adorable and perfect his boyfriend was. After a certain point, he noticed, the pictures started to revolve more and more about ice skating. There was a whole montage of Yuuri training, from him taking his first few wobbly steps on the ice to him confidently moving in long broad strokes, the tip of his tongue peeping out of his mouth in a way that was just too cute for Victor to handle. He still does that sometimes, he thought as he went to the next few photos that showed Yuuri with his rink mates. They then shifted to Yuuri at his first few competitions, standing on the podium of his junior competitions with his face adorably red as his family cheered in the stands. There were pictures of him awkwardly posing with his medals and his coach, the burly man with the long ponytail standing with his arm proudly around Yuuri's shoulders as the Japanese boy tried to make himself look as small as possible. That was typical Yuuri, Victor smiled. He never could deal with being first, even when he did deserve it.

As the album went on and Yuuri got older, the photos shifted again. The backgrounds changed, showing an entirely different rink to the Ice Castle, which Victor was now very familiar with, and the pictures were now mostly selfies. Phichit featured in over three-quarters of them and in most cases, it was him holding the camera as Yuuri either posed with him or just gave him a slightly exasperated glance. These have to be from Yuuri's days in Detroit, Victor pondered, chuckling when he saw a selfie where Yuuri was quite clearly trying to hide from view, his face crimson as Phichit tried to get a photo of them in front of a large billboard of his own face. He then felt a touch of warmth in his chest when he realised what Yuuri's family must have done. Either Phichit or Yuuri had sent them these photos, probably by text, and they had printed each one out and stuck it in the album, determined to keep it going even though they weren't there to capture the moments of their son's life. The image of Yuuri's family eagerly awaiting these pictures and diligently working to print them out and stick them in the correct order made more tears well up behind his eyes and he had to fiercely rub at them to stop them falling and make a mess of his face in front of Mrs Katsuki. Yuuri has such an adorable family, he thought as he quickly turned the page before it could unleash any more emotions on him. I hope we'll be just as adorable as that when we have a family of our own. He smiled. He rather liked the thought of that.

The last few pages were a mishmash of ones taken when Yuuri was older and training at the Ice Castle. They were all action shots, taken when Yuuri was either in mid-jump, spin or during a step sequence, the edges still crisp like Yuuri had frozen in the air just for the photo. Victor could see the concentration on his face, the lines etched onto his brow as he stared straight ahead or down at the ice, keeping track of his feet. In a few, he could even see his tongue poking out and that made him chuckle. That seemed to be a habit Yuuri would never loose. These photos also all had little names written underneath, rather like a signature underneath a piece of art. Each one had been signed with either Axel, Lutz or Loop, the names written in a wobbly childish script. Victor spent a while staring at the names confused (that wasn't an axel in that picture, it's a camel spin!) before he remembered what Yuuri had told him about his childhood friend who owned the rink; she had triplet daughters all named after skating terms who also counted themselves as Yuuri's biggest fans. They may have some competition now, Victor thought with a grin but he was still pleased. He always loved to hear of other people who recognised how great his Yuuri was and he couldn't be angry at anyone who took pictures as great as this of him. They all really captured how at graceful and yet comfortable Yuuri was on the ice; Victor could almost hear the music of his body as he looked at them. Yuuri also looked so relaxed and focused, the ice almost bending to his will at he looked entirely at home.

Home… Victor jolted as an idea hit him like a cannonball. The inspiration came like a familiar flash of lightning and he welcomed it with relieved open arms as his idea began to grow. He could see it all clearly in his head and, after having a completely barren mind for what seemed like forever, his excitement was bursting inside him like a firework show. This was it! He thought, nearly throwing the book to the floor and making Maccachin jump. This is how I'm going to do it, this is the perfect idea, the one I've been waiting for… Overwhelmed with all the emotions coursing through his system, he suddenly turned around with another squeal and tugged Mrs Katsuki into a bear hug, again startling Maccachin who then decided to sleep in another room as he wandered out of the door.

"Thank you!" Victor close to shouted in her ear before he paused with a stab of panic. Was this somehow improper behaviour? Did people in Japan hug their future in-laws like this? Had he just broken some moral code that would make her hate him forever and forbid him to ever lay eyes on her son again? Then, just as he was about to loosen his grip and maybe apologise on his knees, he felt two arms go around him and squeeze his torso just as tightly. Victor gave a long sigh of relief as he sat there and hugged her back.

"Thank you." He repeated, his voice softer and quieter this time. He didn't know if he would get a response or if Mrs Katsuki would understand just how much this meant to him. However, as she pulled back and lightly patted him on the top of his silver head, her soft reply seemed to suggest she had known more than he had himself.

"Your welcome. And call me Hiroko."

OOO

"Victor, where are we going?" Yuuri called, his breath sounding ragged as he tried to keep up with the man who was dragging him through the empty streets of Hasetsu by his wrist. Yuuri could usually outpace Victor by miles in terms of stamina but he had just come back from a long day of training and dealing with Victor's siblings who, now Victor wasn't there to stop them, had been plastered to Yuuri's side all day and hadn't left him alone for a minute. He had been hoping to catch a long rest with his boyfriend when he got back to the inn but instead, he found that Victor had been infused with all the energy of a young hare and he had insisted on taking him straight out again. "You haven't told me yet!"

"That's because it's a surprise Yuuri!" Victor called back happily, almost bounding as the ground started to incline. Usually Yuuri would be the one stoically moving forwards and cajoling Victor up the steep hill but now their roles were reversed as Yuuri started to heavily huff as Victor carried on pulling him, a sunny smile fixed on his face. "I don't want to ruin it!"

"Victor…" Yuuri's voice had a slight edge of warning to it that made Victor stop. He looked back at Yuuri's pink cheeks and panting mouth and lowered his arm guiltily. He'd been so excited about his new perfect idea and so eager to finally act on it, that he had practically rushed Yuuri out of the inn before he had even had the chance to sit down. He took a step back towards Yuuri and softly kissed the back of his hand as an apology.

"Sorry sweetheart." He said, giving Yuuri the widest puppy eyes he could that nearly always made the Japanese man melt and forgive him. "We can take a break here if you want."

"I want." Yuuri said bluntly as he crashed to the ground in a heap. Victor laughed before he too flopped down after him, wrapping his arms around him so he could heave them both into a sitting position. Yuuri's back was pressed to his chest and their legs overlapped as they sprawled them out in the middle of the pathway. Yuuri would have usually been embarrassed to be in such an intimate position, especially in public, but since nobody else was around and the sky was already falling into darkness, he didn't mind at all, even when Victor cuddled him even closer and pressed a kiss to his sweaty neck.

"You OK?" He asked quietly and Yuuri answered with a contented nod, not wanting to break the peace around them. Dark midnight blue was smearing its way across the sky like spilled ink but the darkness felt comforting, like a blanket around the both of them keeping them safe and out of sight. The air was still muggy with the leftover warmth of the day and there was no breeze yet to blow it away so the night was still, like it was holding its breath in anticipation. The lights from the windows and street lamps were still very low, almost looking like the glow of fireflies among the gentle blackness. The streets that were usually bustling with activity were now serenely quiet and though it was a little eerie, it was also strangely magical. Yuuri felt like he was being exposed to a side of the town he had barely known and, with Victor by his side, he enjoyed the serene feeling of it.

"You really to keep going?" Victor said after a few moments as he nuzzled into the back of Yuuri's neck. Yuuri angled his head a little, just enough so he could catch the pair of pleading blue eyes and he smiled wickedly.

"Maybe if you tell me where we're going." He answered teasingly as Victor pouted at him.

"You're no fun Yuuri!" He whined, once again hiding his face in Yuuri's shoulder. Yuuri just laughed before he wriggled around to get up, squeezing himself from Victor's grip before he stood up and offered him a hand.

"OK, I promise I won't ask you again." Yuuri laughed at his petulant partner as he helped him up. "Lead the way Victor!"

He almost regretted his words as Victor grinned at him again before dashing off, nearly yanking Yuuri's arm from its socket as he charged up the steep hill like it was nothing. Yuuri could feel his lungs gasping for air after a few more minutes of the non-stop high speed chasing but he didn't say anything about wanting another break. As much as he was wary of Victor's surprises (they were nearly always as extra as him) he couldn't deny that he was also curious about what Victor had prepared for him. He hadn't seen Victor this lit up with glee since they had started their journey here under the cover of darkness a few days ago and he wanted to see what exciting new place had made him so happy. That was why, when they rounded the corner and he saw their destination looming in front of them, he stopped dead in the centre of the path in confusion.

"The Ice Castle?" He said, staring up at the sign in clear bewilderment. "Victor what are we doing back here? I've only just finished training and Yakov said he didn't want you skating until tomorrow!"

"It's a surprise," Victor winked at him, holding a finger over his mouth and tapping his lips mysteriously. "And don't worry, we're not here for training. Just go get some rental skates, I'll meet you on the ice."

With those last words tossed over his shoulder, he let go of Yuuri's hand and sprinted into the building, leaving Yuuri standing outside with even more questions buzzing through his mind than before. After a long moment, he just sighed and walked in to go carry out his instructions. When Victor was in a mood like this, it was sometimes just better to go along with what he wanted.

Grumbling slightly, he made his way into the lobby of the Ice Castle and went behind the desk to grab a pair of rental skates. He kept listening out for Victor as he sat in the changing room and tied his laces, hoping maybe to hear if the man had dragged something else in there but, to his frustration, Victor was seemingly being quiet as a church mouse. That's a first, he thought with a snort as he headed for the door that lead to the rink. I wonder if that is part of the surprise.

When he opened the door and looked over the rink, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust; the lights had been dimmed to their lowest point, making the air dimly hum with the faint light but large spots of the ice were being illuminated with giant white spotlights. Victor was on the ice, dancing between the spotlights with no music on, a look of intense concentration on his face as he stared down at his feet. Yuuri marvelled at him in surprise. Victor was skating like he always did, every movement full of passion and delicate force but now he was skating like he would fall apart if he stopped. He almost looked nervous, like he was building up the courage to do something but before Yuuri could start to question what had him like this, the Russian skater looked up and caught sight of him. His face broke into a wide, almost relieved smile and as he eagerly skated over to him, Yuuri couldn't help but smile back teasingly.

"Is my surprise a private show?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as Victor nearly crashed into the barriers. For a moment, the silver-haired man looked floored as he stared back at Yuuri's grin but he soon recovered, delivering his own winning smile as he tried to get himself back on the script he had been practising in his head.

"Maybe that can come later," He purred, reaching his hand up to stroke down Yuuri's jawline and enjoying how flushed his skin went. "But for now, I have something different in mind." He removed his hand with a flourish before he dipped into a short bow and held his hand out to him. "Would you join me in this dance?"

Yuuri felt his cheeks flush a little pink as he fought not to giggle like a schoolgirl. This felt like a scene from a teen movie that Phichit would have made him watch but he still took Victor's hand with a smile, curling his fingers around his so they fitted perfectly. "Of course Vitya." He said, knowing the nickname would get a reaction from the Russian. He watched as Victor's cheekbones suddenly bloomed pink and he almost broke character for a moment but he held tight to Yuuri's hand as he led him to the barrier and the second his blades touched the ice, he swept him towards the centre of the ice, only smiling when this made Yuuri squeal in surprise.

"Victor! What are you… doing…" Yuuri went to admonish Victor once his legs felt steady but the moment he turned his head, his words failed on his tongue as he stared up at Victor's face. The two of them were caught in a very close position, Yuuri leaning back on Victor with his head pillowed against his shoulder and chest. Victor was taking all of his weight and his arms were both securely tied around him, one hand on his hip and the other on his shoulder, the arm crossed over his chest like he was shielding Yuuri's heart. Victor's eyes were locked onto Yuuri's face as he stared down at him and his blue eyes were sparkling with such emotion, they looked like they were trying to replicate the sparkling ice under their feet. They were filled with adoration, like they were gazing on the most precious thing in the universe and Yuuri could feel his stomach flipping and his own eyes watering as he stared back. What had he done to deserve such a look? His eyes were so mesmerising he could already feel himself getting lost in them again, just like they had back at the rink in St Petersburg that first time. He was so lost in them, he didn't move his eyes away, even when Victor's hand reached up to brush the edge of his jawline, his fingertip dancing lightly over his skin like Yuuri was something too holy to be touched.

"Victor…" He manged to choke out after a long moment, his throat feeling too dry to speak but Victor silenced him with a finger stroked across his lips. He then reached down to his pocket and Yuuri was pressed so close to him, he could feel the action of Victor pressing at something. As he did so, the first few notes of a song trickled into the air around them, soothing and long and explosive in the quiet. Yuuri froze, spellbound by the strangely familiar music before Victor gently spun him around, making them face each other as Italian words joined the melody.

"May I have this dance?" Victor asked again, his voice hushed like this time he was asking for something forbidden. Yuuri felt his heart quiver as he nodded. Victor smiled at him again, a closed mouth upwards turn of his lips that was filled with fondness as he pulled him close once again, taking both his hands and kissing each one before he began to lead him in a slow dance.

At first, they simply skated in gentle loops, getting used to the feeling of holding on to somebody else as their feet bumped and their toes picked roughly at the ice. It took them a few minutes and replays of the song for the two of them to move gracefully in sync and for Yuuri to realise what the song was, a smile growing on his face as it dawned on him. This was Stammi Vicino, the song that Victor was using for his free skate. He could remember hearing it echo through the rink back in practise in St Petersburg, watching Victor as he flowed across the ice like the music itself was moving him like a puppet. He opened his mouth about to say something about it but Victor once again raised his hand to dust along his lips, stopping any words from coming out. He gave him a small smirk as Yuuri raised a questioning eyebrow but he couldn't dwell on it as Victor suddenly pulled him into a tight spin, holding Yuuri like they were ballroom dancing as they twirled on the ice. Yuuri yelped at the movement, fearing for his life as he held Victor closely and he could feel the Russian laughing, but he still didn't say a word. He was almost like he was afraid to speak, afraid of breaking the spell that had settled over the rink and was being kept alive by the music and Yuuri indulged him, keeping his lips sealed. He was content to just be there with him, just dancing and belonging together on the ice. He didn't need to know any more than that.

As they went on, they got more ambitious. Yuuri felt almost like the music was guiding them, making them move in sync and think with the same mind as it stoked them to try more and more things on the ice. They had both tried and perfected these jumps and spins by themselves but doing them together, mirroring each other side by side or clinging to each other tightly as the world blurred around them, felt entirely different. If Yuuri had been watching it from the outside, he thought he might have considered it a pair skate but being a part of it and dancing it with Victor, pushing when he pulled and being his support when he needed it… it felt more like he was acting as the half to one whole. It was more like a duet, something that needed two people to work and breathe life into it. Yes, that's what this is, he thought with a smile that he didn't even notice was stealing Victor's breath away. This was their duet.

It took him by surprise when Victor lifted him clean into the air, his arms catching him around the middle before scooping him up like he could lift him to the stars. Yuuri nearly screamed, scrabbling at Victor in a panic before he realised he wasn't going to drop him. He knew Victor would sooner fall flat on his own perfect face than hurt him and he allowed himself to settle in his arms, not quite relaxed but not panicking either. Victor only span a couple of times before he set him back down on the ice, his mouth already looking to apologise but when he looked back at Yuuri, the Japanese skater's eyes were glowing as he laughed.

"Do that again, I wanna try something!" He said excitedly and Victor was only too happy to oblige, picking him up and whirling him back through the air. Yuuri laughed as this time, instead of curling in and clinging to Victor like a limpet, he threw his limbs out in a starfish shape. His feet pointed and his fingers curled by instinct, a physical reminder of his ballet lessons, and he allowed himself to imagine what Minako would say to this if she saw it. She'd probably yell at me for my posture or something, he thought and that only made him laugh more. He was so caught up in his own thoughts and in holding his pose that he almost forgot he was in the air; it wasn't until he heard Victor's laughter as he came to a stop on the ice and sharply lowered Yuuri into a dip. Yuuri almost believed he was falling before he suddenly stopped with the back of his head being cradled just above the ice and Victor's face hovering over his with a smirk, the tips of his silver bangs lightly brushing against his forehead.

"Well this position seems familiar." He grinned and Yuuri flushed, knowing instantly he was referring to their first kiss. That had been on the ice too, with Victor cradling his head and Yuuri feeling like all the air had been knocked from his body… He closed his eyes, expecting Victor to recreate that moment and kiss him but instead, he felt himself being lifted back up and his feet shakily met the ice once more.

"So, what did you think of your surprise?" Victor asked as he opened his eyes. They were back in the centre of the ice again, the music still playing in the background, somehow sounding soft and distant even as it reached its swell and Victor was once again standing in front of him, barely a step away with both his hands clasping at Yuuri's like he was daring the world to try and rip them apart. His face was smiling but his eyes had that nervous look again and Yuuri still had no clue why. Hadn't they just been skating? That was Victor's whole life! "I heard the song and I thought it would be perfect for a pairs skate… a little egotistical of me I know, it is my free skate…"

Was Victor Nikiforov rambling? Yuuri wanted to giggle again; he never thought he would see the day when that would happen. "I loved it Victor." He said, cutting off the rush of babble that was still flowing from Victor's mouth. "I really did, I couldn't have asked for a better surprise." He smiled at Victor and he beamed back, looking a lot more like his usual self now he was grinning wildly. "And I do like that song, Stammi Vicino… What does that mean again? I'm sure you've already told me but I need reminding."

"Oh," Victor's grin softened as he pulled himself a little closer to Yuuri, one hand snaking up his arm and coming to rest at his cheek. "It's a love song. It means Stay Close To Me… and that's exactly what I want you to do Yuuri."

"Victor I…" Yuuri could feel his eyes beginning to brim with tears but before he could say anymore, Victor had stilled his lips with his thumb, pressing it gently to his bottom lip like he had done so many times before. Yuuri looked up a him, slightly grateful. He wasn't sure what he had been about to say anyway but he was sure it would have involved a lot of stammering.

"Please don't interrupt me Yuuri, I don't think I'll be able to say what I need to otherwise." Victor said. "You're just too distracting." He chuckled but Yuuri could hear the nerves that were trickling into his voice; he recognised it too well from his own experiences. Victor truly was nervous but before he could question why, Victor was speaking again.

"Yuuri, you mean the world to me. You are my life and love and you give me so much inspiration each and every day. You burst into my life at a time when I had lost all my drive and all my passion and you showed me how to bring it back. With you, it feels like there's nothing we couldn't do together and I've wanted to ask you this for such a long time now." He suddenly let go of one of Yuuri's hands, holding the other in a tight grip like he was trying to stop it shaking as he reached into his back pocket. "Yuuri, will you-"

"VICTOR, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

Victor froze, his hand still buried deep in his pocket as the shout echoed around the rink and he watched Yuuri's face go pale as he stared at the doorway. Victor winced as he slowly angled his head in that direction, squeezing his eyes shut in the hope that maybe if he did, the entrance would be empty when he opened them again and he could get on with his proposal in peace. However, when he heard a low growl, he realised that wasn't going to happen and he opened his eyes, giving another wince as he did so. Yakov was striding towards the barrier, his eyes flashing and his face twisted in such a deep scowl, Victor wondered if his face would have to be ironed out to get rid of all the new creases there. He was also getting steadily redder and redder with each step he took towards the ice and by the time he had the barrier gripped in his hands, looking close to denting it, he looked enraged enough to melt the ice they were standing on.

"Victor!" He yelled again when neither of the skaters on the ice moved, both too paralysed with shock to do anything but gape at him. "What did I tell you this morning?! I didn't want to see you anywhere near the ice today! You were so exhausted this morning, you could barely stand and I told you to rest yet here you are fooling around! The Grand Prix is so nearly here and it's like you are trying to wreck your chances!"

"But Papa, we were just-" Victor wasn't sure exactly what he was going to protest- saying they were trying to get engaged would have spoiled the surprise for Yuuri and probably just made his father even angrier- but Yakov didn't even give him the chance to try.

"No buts! I want you back at the inn and in your bed right now! And you better make sure you get a good sleep tonight because I'm keeping you in for extra practise tomorrow!"

Victor opened his mouth again in shock but he quickly closed it again at the blazing look Yakov shot him. For a moment, he just stayed still on the ice, a crushing feeling rooting him there as he realised that his perfect proposal had just been interrupted a second time. And he had been so close, it was just unfair! Eventually, he felt a tugging on his arm and he looked up to see Yuuri was gently steering him off the ice. He looked a little rattled but it was clear he was trying to get them both in less trouble by following Yakov's orders as he watched them both still with a furious expression.

"Come on, we should be getting back anyway," Yuuri said pleasantly, evidently trying to lift Victor's squashed spirits as he bent to undo both their laces. "We don't want to strain our muscles and it was still fun. When we get back, we can have some tea and a long rest, what do you think Vitya?" The smile he gave him from below was so sweet and warm that Victor couldn't help but attempt one of his own. Somehow Yuuri always managed to make him feel better and there was nothing to say he couldn't finish what he had started back there… However, that train of thought ended abruptly when Yakov again spoke.

"That isn't going to happen Victor. You are going back and going straight to bed and that's final," He said sharply, pointing at Victor before he then stabbed at the air, his finger lining up with Yuuri's stunned face. "And you, you're not going anywhere just yet. We need to have a word. Alone."


	11. Chapter 11

_Yes I finally got to write the scene I wanted to write since I came up with this story! Seriously though, it was so much harder than I thought, I revised this so many times because I wanted it to be as good as I could get it. Thanks for all your patience, and enjoy this chapter. I only have one more left to write and that just boggles me... I can't believe how much I've written!_

For a long moment after Yakov's statement, Victor and Yuuri stood frozen like mannequins, unable to do anything more than stare at the old man in shock. Yuuri was still bent in front of Victor untying his skate, looking almost like he was worshipping at the altar of Victor's feet whilst Victor himself seemed momentarily unaware of his boyfriend's presence as he stared back at his father like he was struggling to believe the words that had just flown from his mouth. He, however, was the one who recovered first, moving to stand protectively in front of a stooped Yuuri as his piercing eyes fixed on Yakov with an equal intensity.

"Yuuri didn't have anything to do with this," He said, hearing Yuuri stand up behind him and throwing an arm out like he could protect him with his body alone. "It was all me, I was the one who dragged him here and asked him to skate. Don't yell at him for something I did!"

The emotion he didn't want to escape broke in the last sentence and it came out as half a shout, half a plea. Yakov remained motionless. His face was unaffected like it had been set in the hardest stone.

"Victor, this is nothing to do with your foolishness tonight." He barked, stating what they both already knew and what they were dreading. "This is about another matter entirely, one you don't need to be a part of."

"I do though!" Victor close to exploded, throwing both his arms down by his side like he was desperately trying to stop himself from slamming them into the nearest wall. He had already given up on trying to stay calm; once the first piece of emotion had wriggled through, there was no stopping it and he now felt like a dam had bust inside of him. "If it concerns Yuuri, it concerns me too! Don't act like you're not going to talk about us!"

"Victor, go back to the inn. Now." Yakov's tone was sharp and brittle, moments from snapping, but still Victor didn't move to make a step. "I'm being serious Victor. Go."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Victor cried out. "If you think I'm going to go home when you're clearly going to-"

"Vitya, I think maybe you should go back to the inn."

The calm voice interjected into the heated dispute with no warning and the tense atmosphere almost disappeared entirely as both men turned surprised at the man who owned the intruding voice. Yuuri stepped to Victor's side, still not looking comfortable under Yakov's glare, but he stood firm as he took both of Victor's clenched fists and forced him to look into his inviting brown eyes. Under the lights, they looked more gold than brown and Victor could feel his anger dissipating the way it always did when he looked at Yuuri. He gritted his teeth. For once, he wanted the anger to stay, he didn't want it to drain away and leave him just feeling worried. How was he supposed to fight for them if he didn't feel angry?

"Victor, go back to the inn and rest." Yuuri then softly told him, ignoring the surprise on Yakov's face and keeping his eyes on Victor in the way he knew would keep Victor's eyes on him and only him. "You know you'll be tired tomorrow and won't be at your best and then I won't be because I'll be worrying about you. I can handle this, don't worry and when I get back, we'll have tea like I said, OK?"

Victor bit his lip. Yuuri looked so sure of himself, his smile soft and reassuring yet spiking with confidence but he could still sense the brooding presence of his father nearby and he could tell he was slowly losing patience. He had every faith in him but he also knew just what Yakov was capable of and he wouldn't have wished that fate on his worst enemy.

"Are you sure?" He asked, all his misgivings clear in his voice but Yuuri's smile didn't waver.

"I'm sure Vitya, now go." Yuuri smiled, turning him around and giving him a light push towards the exit. Victor glanced over at Yakov who gave a curt growl that made him walk away a little quicker but his eyes kept darting back to Yuuri, his legs feeling like they were moving through honey with his reluctance to leave. He hesitated at the doorway, looking back with an almost pleading glance but it was Yuuri nodding his head in a motion to leave that made him finally disappear. The sound of his footsteps slowly echoed away before they heard the smooth slide of the rink doors echoing through the building where you could now hear a pin drop.

That just left Yuuri alone with Yakov. The two of them stood facing each other, the few feet between them and their stances making it look like they were about to fly into battle. Yakov's face hadn't relaxed one bit from the absence of his son; in fact, under the dim lights, Yuuri could barely see his dark gaze under the brim of his hat. That didn't help any of the unease he felt; he could already feel his nerves coursing through him, striking through his body like an energy that was making him tremble a little. He suddenly wished he hadn't been so quick to send Victor away. Victor may be spontaneous and unpredictable but at least he would have been able to say something in response to whatever Yakov was now going to hurl at him. Yuuri hated any kind of confrontation and sometimes just yelling alone, even if it wasn't directed at him, would be enough to make him a trembling mess. The thought of what could come out of Yakov's mouth was almost enough to make him flee but he stayed firm, clenching his fingers into fists so they wouldn't start shaking by his sides and expose how scared he was. He had to be like a mountain, strong and unyielding.

"So, Mr Feltsman," He asked politely. "What was it you wanted to discuss with me?"

Yakov looked a little taken aback, like he had been expecting something very different, but he quickly recovered his mask. "I don't get you Katsuki."

Now it was Yuuri's turn to be surprised as he blinked at Yakov. "Don't get me?"

"I don't know what's going through your head," Yakov said in way of explanation that Yuuri still blinked at. "You're a really tricky person to read and I'm usually good at reading people. Yet I can't read you and I don't like that. I don't like that at all." He paused as he surveyed Yuuri, clearly scrutinising his reaction. Yuuri just stayed still, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible. He had no idea what Yakov wanted to see. Was there something he was supposed to be doing? "So, I feel like I need to ask you this. What kind of game are you playing?"

Yuuri felt even more confused than before. "I don't get what you mean Sir."

"You know exactly what I mean." Yakov huffed. "What are your intentions towards my son?"

That caused Yuuri to react. He stared back at Yakov in amazement, like he had only just realised he was there. "Do… do you really feel like you need to ask that?"

"Of course I do!" Yakov snapped, his eyes now looking like they were about to bulge from their sockets and his jaw chomping like he was biting off his words. "I have no idea what you're planning! I thought I did, I thought I had you sussed but all this week you've been proving that to be wrong and now I have no clue what's true and what's not!"

"What's… true?" Yuuri felt like he was just repeating the words that were being yelled at him but he wasn't sure what else to do. Nothing was making any sense. Why did Yakov think he had some kind of game? And what was he talking about when he said he thought he had him sussed? "What did you think I was?"

Yakov looked ready to explode at he stared at Yuuri in clear unblinkered shock. "Are you trying to evade this or are you that much of a simpleton?!" He raged. "At the banquet, you were there dancing like a damn stripper and I saw the way you latched on to Victor like a goddamn parasite! There have always been rabid fans after him, wanting to leech off his fame and money, I've been fending them off for years to protect him but you, you were the slipperiest of the lot! You got past me and under his skin and then, just when I think I'm free of you, you turn up in St Petersburg to lure him in again! When my son ran off with you, I came to Vladivostok to get him away and confront you… and you then acted all differently!" Yakov genuinely seemed lost for words, spluttering in the midst of his angry rant as all his thoughts seemed to be racing to get out first. "You were shy and meek… and you easily let us stay in your home and you never got angry with us, even when Yuri and the others were pushing you… and you and Victor, just now with that display… I don't know what to make of you! So, tell me now Yuuri Katsuki; who exactly are you and what are your true intentions?"

The question echoed like the sound of a gunshot, loud and demanding and explosive. For a moment, Yakov didn't think Yuuri would answer; the man just looked too shell-shocked, his mouth dropped open and his eyes watery. He looked close to choking out sobs and that made Yakov uncomfortable. Out of all the reactions he expected, none had involved tears. The sickening silence went on for a little longer and it was bristling on Yakov's skin. He had never liked silence, it was too awkward, too suffocating with its pressure to fill it. He was just about to turn and walk away when he heard Yuuri speak.

"Is that really how you see me?"

Yakov looked back at him and his eyebrows went up in surprise at how different Yuuri's stance had suddenly become. His body was rigid, not in fear but in what looked like carefully contained anger, with his hands balled into fists and his jawline set. His eyes were still wet with tears caught in the corners looking like they were going to run down his cheeks at any point but the brown of his eyes was suddenly crackling like fire, making them look deep wine red. The change was startled and Yakov could almost feel himself doing a double-take but he kept his face passive. He didn't want Yuuri to see that this had affected him in any way.

"What?"

"Is that how you really see me?" Yuuri repeated with more of a crack in his voice. "As just a rabid fan? You think I'm only here because Victor is the famous Victor Nikiforov?"

Yakov didn't even have time to open his mouth before Yuuri had taken a few strides towards him. The look on his face was so unreadable, so alarmingly blank, that Yakov found himself taking a step back on instinct. The boy wasn't thinking of flying at him surely? The thought flashed quickly through his mind in panic. It'll be the last thing he does if he tries…

He closed his eyes, expecting some sort of blow or tirade but instead he heard Yuuri come to a stop and then a frustrated huff of breath. He opens his eyes, only to find Yuuri wasn't even looking at him anymore; instead, his focus was all on the pocket of his trousers where his hands were firmly rummaging around like there was something small inside he couldn't quite get a hold on.

"You want to know what my intentions towards Victor are?" Yuuri almost spat as his head sharply lifted to face Yakov again. His voice was full of contempt as he bit off the word intentions, like he was familiar with what a stuffy and fussy word it was. He didn't even give him a pause to answer before he wrenched his hand free from his pocket and held it out with his palm up and flat. "Here's your answer."

Yakov narrowed his eyes before he looked down at Yuuri's open palm but when he did, they went wide and he had to swallow back a gasp. There, innocently sparkling under the rink lighting, was a gold ring. It sat heavily in Yuuri's palm, his hand shaking like it's symbolic weight was too much for it to bear, and after a long moment, he caged his fingers around it like it was too emotional and private to be out in the open for too long. Yakov found himself speechless as he watched Yuuri peering at the gold sheen through the net of his hand, like he was making sure Yakov's gaze hadn't tainted it in some way. It was still sparkling up at him, defying all his thoughts even as they continued to swirl through his mind. He couldn't be planning to propose to his son, could he? That went against every idea he had had of the flighty good-time dancer he had seen moving seductively at the banquet.

As if he could hear the disbelief that was rattling inside Yakov's head, Yuuri looked up and tentatively opened his palm again, his fingers uncurling like flower petals in bloom. The ring seemed to glow even more, conscious almost of his importance as Yuuri started to speak. His voice started off a little shaky but it didn't take him long to wrestle it under control, sudden passion flaring in his words so that even though they were softly spoken and not shouted, each one still felt like a whip crack in the still air of the rink.

"I've always looked up to Vitya, even when we were both kids," he said. "He was my idol and I started skating because of him. I admired him because he was so beautiful on the ice, he skated like it was the only thing he was born to do. I saw him and the only thing I ever wanted was to skate on the ice beside him as an equal. I never expected to be anything more than his competitor and I didn't dare to try anything more. If it hadn't been for me losing so terribly and drinking so much at the banquet, I never would have had the nerve to talk to Victor, let alone dance with him and act the way everyone says I did!" His cheeks were getting rapidly pinker at the thought but that didn't stop him; in fact, his embarrassment only served to fuel him and he carried on with even more determination than ever, his eyes piecing Yakov's and the older man couldn't look away.

"I didn't intend for that night to happen Sir. That side of me only seems to come out when I'm blackout drunk and I know you don't believe me, but I honestly don't remember a thing from that night. But that doesn't mean I regret it because if it hadn't have happened, I wouldn't be with the man I adore more than anything in the world. I'm no longer just his fan anymore because I know all these things fans just never see. He's not just the great Victor Nikiforov to me, he's Vitya who constantly agonises over the state of his hair and who cries at adverts with dogs in them and who forgets half the promises he makes and then falls over himself to try and fix it. He's not the perfect human being I thought he once was but you know what? He's better than that because he's real and he's mine. I couldn't care less if he stops skating tomorrow and loses all his sponsors and his medals and whatever because I know I'll still be there for him like he's been there for me this past year. The only thing I'm ever going to want from him is his love and that's all I'm going to ask for." His stare continued to fix Yakov to the floor as he paused, his chest heaving like he had just skated his entire program. "I know you don't like me Mr Feltsman and you have every right not to but don't think of me as just a crazy fan or a leech. The only thing I want to be hated for is for being the man who took the great Victor Nikiforov away from the world and made him Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov. That's the only thing I'll ever ask from your son Sir. Those are my intentions."

For what seemed like the longest moment of Yuuri's life, the rink was silent like the ice had taken hold of their throats and they couldn't speak through the numb cold. He could still feel the adrenaline from his words coursing through his system and he felt like he had just performed a dozen quadruple flips all in a row. The ring was still in his palm, the metal warm from him clutching it so tightly and his lungs were only skittishly taking in air but he still didn't move. He didn't feel like he could afford too; Yakov was still standing there, his eyes wide but silent like he was still absorbing everything that Yuuri had just thrown at him. That made him panic. What if this had been the complete wrong thing to do? What if he had just ruined his chances of ever being accepted into Victor's family by having a go at his father-in-law… oh god, he had just had a go at his father-in-law! He bit back a whimper and the urge to flee. This wasn't just anyone too, this was Yakov Feltsman, only the top coach in the entire figure-skating world… Yuuri was certain now. This would be where he met his end and they would find him here in the morning. He could only hope he got a nice funeral.

He was just about to start praying when all of a sudden, Yakov abruptly turned around, his long coat flying out behind him like a cape as he began to walk away. He stalked his way to the doorway whilst Yuuri remained rooted to the floor, his feet suddenly leaden as he tried to process what had just happened. Was he… not going to die? He stared after him, his body still tense like he was expecting a fight but slowly he could feel himself beginning to relax. Yakov reached the exit but then paused in the doorway, looking back with scrutinising eyes again and Yuuri stiffened again.

"Well? Aren't you coming?" Yakov grunted from the doorway, one foot already out of sight. Yuuri just gaped at him.

"Wha-what?"

"I said, aren't you coming?" Yakov repeated gruffly but his voice no longer had the edge to it that Yuuri was so used to hearing. His voice now sounded so different, Yuuri thought for a second that somebody was actually speaking from behind Yakov and he had to blink several times at the man just to make sure. "It's getting late and I know Vitya won't have gone to bed from worrying about you. I want to get back just so I can show him I haven't killed you." He gave a wry smile and a chuckle at that and Yuuri, feeling like a giant weight had just been lifted from him, chuckled back.

"OK," He answered, walking over to Yakov with a smile on his face that he wasn't sure he could wipe away even if he wanted to. "I'm coming."

"Good." Yakov huffed "Took you long enough." He sounded grumpy but he still stepped aside to allow Yuuri to exit the rink first before he went to walk beside him. "You know… I don't think your skating back there was half bad."

Yuuri's smile grew wider and he felt like his chest was going to burst. "Thank you Mr Feltsman." He said, suddenly feeling like he could climb an entire range of mountains in one go with all the emotions rushing inside him. To anyone else, that would have been a mediocre compliment at best but to him, it meant the absolute world and he couldn't help but beam.

"But your landings on the lifts needed a little more finesse," Yakov continued, walking along with his hands firmly in his pockets as Yuuri walked by his side, still smiling happily as they trailed the line of street lamps back down the hill. "And really, Victor was carrying you a lot in that routine, I'll have to build up your strength training when we get back to Russia. And another thing…"

OOO

Just as Yakov had suspected, Victor hadn't gone to bed when he found himself back at the inn. Instead, he was at the bar, his body miserably slumped over a low table as his three siblings crowded around him worriedly like a flock of birds around a pile of seed. Mila and Georgi were exchanging concerned looks over Victor's head, their lips pressed together as they debated what to do whilst Yuri's face just held a mask of boredom as his eyes flicked between the emotional wreck that was his brother and his phone. The only way you could tell that he was really concerned was the way he poked at him every now and again, seemingly checking he was still alive. When Victor finally gave a grunt at one of Yuri's harder pokes, Mila started to gently probe him with questions, having to strain to hear the answers as they were muffled by the tablecloth.

"So, Yakov turned up at the rink and said he wanted to speak alone with Yuuri?"

"Yes."

"And Yuuri told you to leave?"

"Yes."

"And you did?"

"Well, obviously he did or he wouldn't be moping here."

"Yuri, shut up!"

"So, Victor, what you're telling us is that Yakov and your Yuuri are both down at the rink, completely unsupervised and Papa wanted to have a word with him?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Yeah, he's so dead."

"Yuri!"

"I know!" Victor suddenly wailed, his voice sounding heart-broken. He sat up a little only to them crash back down on the table with his arms flailing and the sight would have been comical to his three siblings if he hadn't been so clearly distraught. "He's going to be so mean to him, I just know it!"

"Victor, you don't know that…" Mila replied, trying to sound reassuring even as she shot a nervous glance at her brothers and found they too looked anxious. They didn't want to voice it in front of Victor but they too were a little worried for Yuuri. They had all experienced their father's displeasure and it wasn't pretty, even when you were used to it. They had all grown to like Yuuri and his soft sweetness but they didn't see how he could get out of this mess.

"But I do!" Victor interrupted with a cry. "He doesn't like Yuuri being with me and now he's going to drive him away! Mila, he looked so angry and scary when I left and I know he's going to yell and Yuuri doesn't like being yelled at, he's going to come back here and hate me and then he'll leave and go to a rink in Outer Mongolia and I'll never see him again!"

"Victor, I really don't think that's going to happen." Mila said, using her strength to push Victor back up into a floppy sitting position. "We all know how scary Papa can be but just because he yells at Yuuri doesn't mean he's going to hate you."

"Yeah Victor, you must have faith in him." Georgi added. "True love will always find a way to break through…"

"Might not help if Yuuri's broken though." Yuri grunted under his breath. His voice was quiet but it was still loud enough for Victor to hear and it made him give another melodramatic wail.

"I don't want Yuuri to come back in pieces!" He sobbed, leaning heavily on Mila and causing her to turn and glare furiously at her younger brother.

"He won't!" She insisted, shoving him back with enough force to nearly make him topple over. He pouted at her like an injured puppy but she just ignored it. "Yuuri's a lot tougher than you think. He'll be fine."

"A lesser man would have been long gone by now. That shows he really wants to stand by you until the bitter end." Georgi pointed out, his eyes watering with the romance of it all. "It's so beautiful…"

"Yeah, stop being sappy already." Yuri reluctantly grumbled, putting down his phone so he could look Victor directly in the eyes as he jabbed a finger at him. "Katsudon will be OK, he's tough. I've seen him do ballet so I know he's tough. And so what if Papa doesn't approve of you two? It didn't stop you before at St Petersburg. You guys could just elope somewhere else… that way I wouldn't have to see you being disgusting all the time."

"Yuri." Mila warned her brother, stopping him before he could insult them again, but there was a fond smile on her face. Victor was smiling again too, his lips perked up happily as he blinked away his tears.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that." He said and Yuri just huffed.

"Whatever idiot." He said, reaching back for his phone and holding it up in front of him like a cross to ward away emotions. Nobody commented on it but they could all see the pleased pink colour rising on his cheeks. It made the three of them want to ruffle his hair but none of them attempted it. They still wanted to keep their hands after all.

It was then when they heard the creak of the front door opening and all four of them tensed up. Their heads all turned sharply in the direction of the sound, their ears straining to hear any human sounds coming from the door. Victor in particular looked like he was going to explode, hovering in a half-standing position as he stared at the door, his ears tuned towards it, listening out for a snappy voice, a low growl or a sob. What he didn't expect to hear was laughing.

The sound of his boyfriend's laughter was so unexpected and startling, he almost fell backwards onto Mila and Georgi, who were similarly staring at the door with stunned expressions. Even Yuri poked his head up at the sound like he couldn't believe his ears. The sound continued to bubble from the next room, getting softly louder as a pair of footsteps came closer and Yuuri suddenly appeared, walking into the bar casually like he hadn't just been in the lion's den. He looked up and his eyes widened at the scene in front of him, all four of Yakov's children sitting around the same table staring at him with their mouths open, but he was smiling warmly as he addressed them.

"Are you all OK?" he asked, surveying them all as they remained frozen in place, still gaping at him like he was an apparition. None of them could believe it; instead of looking close to mauled as they had expected, Yuuri just looked _happy_. It was practically radiating off him like an aura, his eyes glowing and his smile wide. His cheeks were flushed a deep pink and they only got steadily pinker when he caught Victor staring at him like he had been gone for several years instead of barely half an hour.

"Are we OK?" Victor nearly knocked the table flying as he got to his feet, striding over to meet Yuuri and grasping both of his hands in his own. His grip got tighter when they heard more footsteps and he looked just past Yuuri and saw Yakov standing at the doorway, watching them with his usual grumpy expression. "Are you OK Yuuri? What happened, what did he say, are you-"

Victor was cut off when Yuuri calmly raised a finger and pressed it to his lips, the touch gentle as the brush of a petal but still enough to halt Victor's panic. "I'm alright Vitya," He said, his smile growing wider as he looked up at him with eyes that held nothing but love. "Everything is alright now."

He felt more than heard Victor's gasp on his finger as the explosive meaning of his sentence fully sunk in. For a long moment, his blue eyes just stared into Yuuri's, flashing with a strange cocktail of joy and fear, like he was too scared to hope that what Yuuri meant was true. "Really?" He whispered, his voice ragged like he had just climbed the hill to the Ice Castle a thousand times. "Are you serious?" His face lifted when Yuuri gave a firm nod, the surest he had ever seen. Then, still in disbelief, he turned to Yakov who hadn't moved from the doorway. There was a pause as the old man's eyes moved back and forth between the pair before he too gave a single confirming, almost earth-shattering nod.

And that was all Victor needed.

He catapulted himself at Yuuri, sending the two of them flying backwards as he wrapped his arms around him and brought their lips together in a deep kiss. Yuuri's back hit the floor hard, jolting their lips apart and slamming a shriek of his boyfriend's name out of him. Victor didn't seem to hear him however as he was too busy planting kisses on every inch of Yuuri's face he could reach with all the enthusiasum of a young puppy.

"Victor!" Yuuri cried out again but he couldn't sound stern at all; he was too busy laughing at the ticklish feeling of Victor's hair fanning on his face and his grin was too wide. He could hear Mila squealing loudly from the table, clapping her hands excitedly as Georgi went to swoon and Yuri gave a snort.

"Stupid idiots…" He mumbled but the insult didn't have any of its usual malice in it. Instead he almost sounded fond of them and that only made Yuuri grin even more.

"Victor, get off the man and let him breathe!" Yakov suddenly barked as he strode from the doorway towards the bar. The expression on his face was tired and he looked like he needed a stiff drink but Victor could read his face well enough to notice the small smile he was trying and failing to hide. "Just because I agreed to this doesn't mean I want you two smooching at the rink mind. You two will have to keep a certain distance away if you're ever going to train."

Victor didn't even seem to register Yakov's words; his eyes were only focused on Yuuri's, their foreheads pressed together firmly like he couldn't bear for even a centimetre of space between them. "I still can't believe this," He whispered, his voice choked by the happy tears that were filling his aqua eyes and threatening to fall. "I still can't believe you're mine and I don't have to hide it anymore."

"I know Vitya." Yuuri answered, cupping Victor's cheeks as he drew him in for another quick kiss. It was funny really; he never could have dreamed that here, lying on the floor of the bar in his parent's hot springs, being close to crushed by his skating idol and love of his life, being watched by his love's entire family who were either cooing or groaning at them, he could feel this happy. He melted away from Victor's touch and angled his head so he could see the others sitting at the table. Mila shot him two thumbs-up and a sly wink, Georgi looked like he was crying and Yurio had his tongue stuck out whilst Yakov just looked exhausted as he poured himself a large tumbler of sake. He laughed as Victor gently cupped his cheek and moved his face back to his, his eyes never leaving his own as they glimmered like ice crystals.

So, this is what it feels like to be accepted, Yuuri thought as his own tears of happiness finally spilled. I could get used to this.


	12. Chapter 12

_So here we are, the final chapter! I can't believe I wrote this much honestly, this was meant to be a short chapter but it ran away with me again... Still I hope you all enjoyed this and if you could leave a final comment to tell me what you thought, that would be greatly appreciated. Until next time!_

For Yuuri, the rest of the week passed in a blur of skating, long family dinners and being close to squashed in multiple sets of arms. After the night where he and Yakov had had their talk and Victor had hurled them both to the ground after his father finally approved of them (he had discovered bruises on his lower back the following morning and Victor had insisted on kissing them all better), Yuuri felt like he could breathe freely, like his nerves had been clamping down on his lungs all this time and now they had all gone in one long breath. There was no need for him to hold onto his worry anymore; he didn't have to fear anyone walking in when he was with Victor or avoid showing too much affection in case anyone got suspicious like he had back in St Petersburg. It felt a little strange knowing that when they got back, they could be as open as they wanted to but it thrilled him more than it scared him. Later that night, he had called Phichit and told him what had gone down at the Ice Castle and, to his amusement, the man had been ready to storm over there and deal with Yakov himself.

"How dare he call you a leech like that!" He had yelled down the phone and Yuuri could practically hear him picking up his eyeliner pencil and brandishing it like a sword. "Nobody insults my precious cinnamon roll son and gets away with it!"

"Phichit, I am older than you."

"That's beside the point! You are a precious and pure soul and Yakov is still going to get it!"

Thankfully, Yuuri had gotten the Thai skater to calm down and promise not to murder his father-in-law with eyeliner (for now anyway) and the last few days of their week in Japan passed in an animated bliss that a few weeks ago Yuuri would have never believed was possible. Most of their day was spent down at the Ice Castle as the Grand Prix final was drawing ever closer and Yakov was being as ruthless as ever, but the atmosphere was very different. It felt less like they were training and more like a family day out as the five skaters on the ice yelled encouragements, challenges and insults (those mainly came from Yurio) to each other to spur them on. Their breaks were filled with loud chatter and Yuuri frequently found himself being pulled over by one of the Russians; Yurio always wanted ballet tips and would make him watch his footwork until he was certain it was perfect, Georgi would frequently ask for advice on similes and metaphors for his poetry and whether a love letter in sonnet form was too much, Mila either had some gossip up her sleeve or wanted to see if she could bench-press him (the answer was yes, yes she could) and Victor just wanted to fuss over him, holding him close in his arms for a few minutes whilst whispering things in his ears that made his face steam in embarrassment. Yuuri usually preferred to skate on his own, so there were less distractions and less reasons for him to feel anxious, but he found that surprisingly he quite liked having these people around him when he skated. Even though they interrupted him a lot, they were always there to help him as much as he helped them and Yakov would always ensure that he got a couple of hours each day to just focus on himself. He would gruffly bark over at the others to leave him alone when Yuuri looked too overwhelmed and then grumble under his breath when Yuuri would send him a warm smile for it. It was obvious even to him that the old Russian man was trying to hide his own smile but that just made Yuuri chuckle. Yurio really did take after his father in a lot of respects.

After training, the six of them crashed back at the inn, the Russians still not used to the steep walk to and from the rink. Yuuri's parents, who had grown quite fond of their guests after Yuuri had explained to them that they were all his in-laws (he couldn't work out why his mother had given Victor a knowing glance and then winked at him but Victor had told him not to worry about it), were always there to warmly welcome them back. For dinner, they always prepared a feast worthy of kings, with so much delicious Japanese food the skaters close to inhaled it in their haste to eat as much of it as possible. Even Yurio was quiet at the table, not spewing his usual insults as he held his fork almost like a weapon as he ploughed through his food. He was too focused on eating as much food as possible to notice how everyone else was eating with chopsticks (Georgi and Mila had picked it up surprisingly quickly and even Yakov could give it a good stab) and how Yuuri's mother would smile fondly and pass him more. He was a growing boy after all, she told Yuuri after he asked her about it, and in her opinion, he looked far too skinny.

"That boy looks like he is made of twigs." She told him in Japanese. "He looks like I could snap him if I tried." Yuuri had been very clear afterwards that she shouldn't try that; it would only get her hissed at.

After dinner was Yuuri's favourite time though. That was when he got to relax with Victor, the two of them lazily cuddling in his room happy to just be in each other's company. They would occasionally make out and things would get steamy but they never went too far; they were staying in an inn with both Yuuri's parents and Victor's father under the same roof after all. A lot of the time, they would just talk, their fingers making trails on the other's cheeks and hips as they stared into each other's eyes, their voices soft as they didn't need anyone else to hear but the person right in front of them. They talked a lot about what would happen when they got back to St Petersburg; they discussed finding their own place when they got back, a flat just for the two of them and Maccachin, and Victor in particular was very eager. He could go on for ages about how he would decorate the inside of their new home and how they could adopt more poodles as playmates for Maccachin and Yuuri was happy to just listen, interjecting at times when he thought Victor was getting over the top (no they were not getting a chandelier like the one at Sochi, he didn't care about how romantic it would be, it wasn't happening). He just loved seeing Victor getting so passionate about something, to the point where he was so excited all he could do was squeeze Yuuri and squeal in his ear about how he couldn't wait.

"And of course," He whispered, his voice growing into that purr Yuuri knew too well. "In our own place, we wouldn't have to worry about being too loud."

"Victor!" Yuuri protested, feeling his face going scarlet but he too was excited to have his own place with Victor. At the moment, Victor was still living at home with his family and Yuuri was sharing a dorm room with Phichit in a building with lots of other skaters. It was nice but he knew it wouldn't compare to living with Victor. Plus, he wasn't worried about Phichit being upset- knowing how much Phichit supported their relationship, the Thai man would probably force the key in his hand and shoo him away.

Yuuri had never thought he could feel this happy. It was like the word had surrounded him, pumping through his brain like a heartbeat, constantly affirming that yes, he was happy. He had everything he could ever want in his life, his family, his love, their approval, great friends… it was all just so complete.

Well, almost complete.

By the end of the week, Yuuri still hadn't popped the question and Victor's ring finger remained bare. It wasn't like he didn't want to anymore, in fact having Yakov's approval at last had only cemented his resolve, and now that he was spending his nights with Victor, often falling asleep in his bed and not moving until Yakov yelled at them to get up, there had been several opportunities where he could have easily brought the ring out and asked him. However, none of them had felt like the right moment and every single time his hand went to his pocket to feel for the ring, his nerves would hit him like a brick wall and he would shakily withdraw it. He knew he couldn't let his anxiety ruin his chances but each time he went for it, he could feel his doubts trickle into his mind like oozing slime.

What if this isn't the right time? They would say, loud enough so it would feel like worms were wriggling inside his head. What if you screw it up? What if he says no? Would he really want to marry somebody like you?

He knew the voices were being ridiculous; Victor had proven time and time again that he wanted to be with Yuuri, he had even been willing to go against his own father for him. He knew that but it didn't stop him from stilling every time he came close to proposing.

I'm going to do it, he would tell himself firmly each time he forced the ring back into his pocket and tried to ignore its weight. I promised myself I would do it before I left Japan and I will. I still have plenty of time.

However, time appeared to disagree with him and before he knew it, he was standing at the doorway of the inn, his bags packed and stacked outside as he said goodbye to his parents. His mother was gripping onto him tightly as the Russians looked on, not understanding a word of the Japanese that passed between the two of them but still standing back to allow them to say goodbye. When they both let go, each looking a little teary, she then latched onto Victor, hugging him just as tightly. He hesitated, taking a moment to put his arms around her but when he did, Yuuri could see him tear up and that made him both smile and want to cry at the same time. He couldn't think of when Victor would have had a mother's hug before and when he heard his mother whispering to Victor to take care of both himself and Yuuri and Victor vigorously nodded, he felt his heart swell up. God, he really wanted to marry this man-so why the hell hadn't he asked yet?

The question stuck in his mind all the way through their bus ride to the airport and it was making him feel antsy. As the Russians around him made loud conversation, he stayed quiet, staring down at the floor like he was actually interested in its dark grey colour whilst trying to get some control of himself. His leg was bouncing up and down rapidly with nerves and he had buried his hands deep in his coat pockets so nobody could see how they were shaking. He felt so stupid; it was just a question after all, was he really that much of a coward? He tried to tell himself that but deep down, he knew it wasn't true; this was nothing like a simple question as the answer, whatever it was, would still turn his world upside down. Were they both ready for that? He wasn't sure but then again, he wasn't sure of anything in that moment, his anxiety making everything he once thought was certain as stable as jelly.

He felt a sudden warmth across his back and he almost jerked away until he heard a soft voice from next to him pull him closer.

"Are you alright Yuuri? You've barely said a word since we left the inn."

Victor sounded so concerned that Yuuri quickly put a smile on his face, forcing the nerves to the back of his head. "I'm fine Victor." He told him, leaning into him so he could absorb some of his comforting warmth. "I'm just thinking a lot. I was away from home for so long before this week and I don't want it to be years until I go back again."

"Oh Yuuri, I promise you it won't be." Victor happily wound his arms around his smaller boyfriend and cuddled him close, drawing a soft aw from Mila and Georgi and a gagging sound from Yurio. "We can go back for another week when the season ends if you want. Your family and your hometown are so adorable, I wouldn't say no to coming back here!"

"Same here!" Mila burst out with a wide grin. "Your family are so nice Yuuri and the food was so good, I'm hungry just thinking about it! I could eat at your inn all year round!"

"Hasetsu is a lovely town," Georgi agreed with his own smile. "It had such a romantic air to it…"

"You're all so sappy." Yurio snorted but when they all looked at him with raised eyebrows, he grudgingly admitted "But I guess this week wasn't terrible and your rink wasn't so bad so… I guess I could come back here."

"Then it's settled!" Victor beamed as he hugged Yuuri tighter and nuzzled at his cheek. "We'll definitely come back so you don't have to be sad anymore!"

"Victor, we haven't even left Japan yet, you can't already make plans to come back!" Yakov called from the front but all his children ignored him as their chatter fired up once more, all of them excitedly discussing what they will do once they get back. Yuuri occasionally chimed in, mainly to tell them what they could or couldn't do in Hasetsu (the way their faces had fallen when he had told them there wasn't a zoo in Hasetsu had made him laugh, Yurio's especially when he heard there were no tigers) but he was happy to just lay back against Victor and enjoy his warmth and the feeling of his fingers brushing against his cheek. It was blissful enough to keep the doubting voices in his head away and he was just beginning to doze off when the bus came to a harsh halt.

"OK, we're at the airport, everybody off!" Yakov ordered from the front and Yuuri and Victor had to reluctantly untangle themselves from each other to get off the bus and retrieve their luggage. Victor took Yuuri's hand once they got into the large airport building and squeezed it but it didn't stop Yuuri's anxiety from building up inside him once again and it only got worse as they moved through the busy airport. As they passed through each gate, getting closer and closer to the plane that would take them to St Petersburg, he could feel himself getting shakier and he was worried his palms would get clammy and Victor would sense something was wrong. He was running out of time and he didn't know what to do about it. Should I just wait until we get back home to Russia? He thought. But I did promise myself I would do it here in Japan… if I bottled out here, am I ever going to do it back there?

"Here we are!" He heard Mila call out and he whipped his head up so sharply, he wondered how it didn't crack. "This is our gate! And it looks like the plane isn't far off too!"

Yuuri's heart sank as he looked up and read the number off the wall. Sure enough, they were standing right outside the last gate, the one at the very end of the building where their plane would pick them up. He couldn't see it out of the window but he knew it couldn't be far off; they had been a little late getting ready that morning, mainly because Victor had spent most of last night demanding cuddles and attention instead of packing. That meant they only had a few more minutes left on Japanese soil and the thought made Yuuri shudder.

"Yuuri?" Victor spoke from his side and Yuuri turned his head to be confronted by his worried blue eyes. His head was quizzically tilted to one side, like he was trying to figure out why his boyfriend had been acting so strange all the way here and Yuuri could feel them scrutinising his face. "Are you alright? You look a little pale, do you feel sick or something?"

The others were looking at him now, concern pooling in their eyes and Yuuri felt like shrivelling under their combined gazes. It was too much, everything was just too much, he couldn't meet any of their eyes, it was just too much… He could feel his chest tightening like all the air was being pumped out of it and he fought to get more in, his breathing growing hurried and gaspy. He could feel his body start to shake and he prayed he wouldn't fall to his knees. That would just draw attention and then everyone would know that I'm weak and a coward… Tears were being to burn behind his eyes when suddenly, a shape moved in front of the intruding gazes he was getting from strangers and two warm hands were cupping his cheeks. They were forcing him to look up into glimmering blue, the colour tranquil and calming as words started to warmly tumble into his ears.

"Yuuri baby, it's OK, stay with me now, everything is alright, I've got you, you're safe, I'm not going to let anything happen to you…"

Victor was rambling, his breath warm as it embraced Yuuri's skin and it was exactly what he needed. He could feel the pressure on his lungs easing as his breath evened out and he gave a little sigh of relief when his body stopped shaking. I'm OK, he told himself over and over, the mantra easy and flowing as running water, and after a moment he was able to give Victor a smile which he gleefully returned.

"There's my beautiful Yuuri," He smiled, taking the moment to rub their noses together and make Yuuri giggle. "You feeling better now?"

"Yeah," Yuuri nodded. "Thanks to you." And it was true, he realised, the fact hitting him like lightning. Victor always did make him feel better; whether it was cheering him up with his extra antics or calming him down, Victor was always there to make him feel loved. He was the warmth he always ran to, the calming influence that was always there, steady and soothing like the waves of the ocean. All he ever needed was here, right in front of him, and he was suddenly filled with a conviction he knew he wasn't going to get again. This was it, this was his do or die moment and he was going to take it.

"Victor," He said. "There's something I want to tell you."

Victor raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as he waited for Yuuri to open up to him. Yuuri could feel the rest of his family turning to look at them but at that moment, it didn't bother him; the only eyes he could see were the ones right in front of him and those were the only ones he needed.

"Victor," He began. "This… this is something I've wanted to say for such a long time now but I just haven't had the confidence to. I've come close so many times and I've always shied away from it because I've always been so insecure and I'm too used to it but when I'm with you… I don't feel like that anymore. When I was little and I first saw you skate, it was like all my worries melted away and all I could do was watch you, watch as you made music on the ice like you were born to do it. I was so inspired by you, I so wanted to meet you as your equal on that ice that I didn't care about my anxieties so much- I could just focus on you.

I'm embarrassed that I don't remember our first meeting but moving to Russia was probably the best thing I ever did because it gave me the chance to know the real you, the you that isn't just in photographs and magazines. You've shown me so much about life and love and all of a sudden, I didn't just want to be your equal on the ice, I wanted to be your equal in everything at your side."

"Yuuri…" Victor whispered, his voice raspy like he was choking back tears but Yuuri lightly brushed his finger over his lips, keeping them closing with the touch and a smile. He wasn't finished yet and he could feel a buzz of anticipation shiver through him as his other hand reached for his pocket.

"Victor Nikiforov, you are the one person I always want to be close to. You're the one thing that can raise me up and clam me down, the person who inspires all my passion and drive. You're better than anything I could have ever dreamed of and I don't need to be worried about where my home is because it's standing right in front of me." He could feel himself choking up at the look on Victor's face, his eyes teary with adoration and his mouth quirked into a smile, but he refused to cry. He had come too far now to back out. "So, I only have one thing I want to ask you Vitya."

The entire airport seemed to gasp as Yuuri sank down onto one knee, holding out the gold ring that he felt like he had been carrying for years, waiting for this moment. Victor's hands had flown up to cover his mouth and pearly tears were now streaming down his cheeks as he stared at Yuuri in total astonishment.

"Victor," Yuuri asked, a wide smile on his own face. "Will you marry me?"

For a long moment, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room as the two of them stared at each other. It felt like nobody else was there, like they had carved out their own small universe where nobody else could intrude. Then suddenly, Victor sank to his own knees, tears still spilling down his face as he wrapped his arms around Yuuri and kissed him hard, pouring every emotion he had into the movement of his lips. When they drew apart, he was smiling, his grin wider than Yuuri had ever seen it as he gave his answer.

"Yes." He said, his voice quiet so only Yuuri could hear it before his happiness overtook him and he was crying it out so everyone around them could hear. "Yes, Yuuri, yes I'll marry you! I'd marry you anywhere!"

The crowd around them erupted into loud cheers as they both clumsily got to their feet, clinging to each other still and grinning like madmen. Victor was still crying, unable to stop the flow of his tears and Yuuri began to cry too as he slipped the gold ring onto Victor's finger. He cried more at just how perfect it looked there, resting on his pale hand like it was always meant to have been there. He was so caught up in staring at it, a part of him still not believing it had happened, that he almost missed the next words that came from Victor's lips.

"I can't believe you beat me to it." Victor smiled as he drew out a small box from his coat pocket. Yuuri's eyes flickered between the box and Victor's face and when he gave a gasp, Victor laughed.

"You didn't… you were going to…" Yuuri didn't even finish his sentence before Victor was kissing him again, softly and tenderly as he reached for Yuuri's right hand. He moved his lips away for a minute, just long enough for him to open the box and slide his own ring onto Yuuri's finger, finally making them a matching pair as he held their right hands together in wonder.

"Look, we even got matching rings," He said. "Looks like that old crone at the shop knew what she was doing."

"You went there too?" Yuuri giggled and soon the pair of them were just laughing in each other's arms, too drunk on happiness to even question it as people continued to clap around them. They kissed again, Victor lifting Yuuri off his feet as he pressed more and more kisses to his face.

"I love you Yuuri."

"I love you too Victor."

It was only the sound of someone gagging and a curt comment of "Get a room" that made the pair of them realise that they weren't alone. They both sharply turned their heads to where Victor's family was standing, blushes colouring their faces as they tried to gauge their reactions. Yuuri felt the first spikes of panic beginning to rise in him (oh god, was this too much too fast, I knew I should have waited…) but they immediately died down when he saw the looks on their faces. Mila was still rapidly clapping her hands, bouncing up and down on the spot as she whooped.

"That was amazing!" She cheered, suddenly bounding up to both of them and gripping them in a tight bear hug that Yuuri was convinced had cracked his collarbone. "That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen! Congratulations Victor and well done Yuuri, you're now definitely part of the family!"

"Thanks Mila." Yuuri answered, sounding dazed as he looked over her shoulder at Victor's brothers who were still rooted in place and appeared to be having very different reactions. Georgi was outright sobbing, one muscular arm covering his eyes as the other clutched at his heart like he was trying to pull it out.

"That… was… just so… beautiful!" He wept, removing his arm and exposing just how much his eyeliner had ran; there were several watery black streaks around his eyes and they were making it look like his face had been attacked by spiders. "I can't take its beauty!"

"Will you shut it!?" Yurio snapped from next to him. The teenage boy still looked stunned by what he had just seen but when Victor and Yuuri both turned their eyes onto him, he shocked them both by clapping his hands and giving a smile.

"Congrats I guess," He said, making Victor look like he was about to fall over in surprise. "You two are the most sickeningly disgusting people I know so you'll be happy together." He then snorted. "I can't believe Katsudon beat you to it Victor. I always thought you would propose first you extra idiot."

"Hey!" Victor called back affronted and Yuuri giggled again at the look on his face. He looked like he was about to retort back when he was interrupted by another gruff voice.

"I knew he would." Yakov said, causing everyone to turn and stare at him. The old man had his arms crossed as he stood by their abandoned pile of hand luggage but there was a wry smile on his face as he looked warmly at the two of them still in Mila's grip. "Yuuri showed me the ring at the rink Vitya. That was how I knew he was serious about you. I thought you lot would have figured out what he was planning but obviously, I give you lot too much credit." He chuckled at the looks on their faces, no malice in his words at all as he stepped towards them. "Congratulations to you both, though I still stand by what I said before- no funny stuff at the rink-"

He was cut off by his eldest son who, with the speed of lightning, removed himself from both Mila and Yuuri and pulled his father into a tight hug, his face buried in his shoulder as Yakov froze in shock.

"Thank you Papa." Yakov heard him say, his voice slightly muffed but still clear to him as it wobbled with emotion. "Thank you… for everything."

Yakov's face softened as he wrapped his arms around his son, patting his back as his shoulders shook a little. "There, there Vitya," He said. "You don't have to thank me for anything. I should really be saying sorry to you and-"

He once again didn't finish his sentence as suddenly his three other children bundled into the hug, trapping him in their midst as they appeared to be trying to squeeze him to death. "Aww, we all love you too Papa!" Mila squealed and Yakov just sighed. He couldn't help it; if there was one thing in this world that was going to make him sappy, it would be his unruly brood of children.

Yuuri stood a little bit apart from the rest of them, his face still blooming with red from his proposal and his body unsure of what to do. He didn't know if he could just leap into something that was clearly so intimate but just when he was about to turn and pick up his hand luggage, he heard that same grumpy sounding voice addressing him.

"Hey Yuuri, aren't you going to get in this? You're family now too and if I'm getting a hug from all of my kids, I might as well include my first son-in-law."

Yuuri almost burst into tears again as he stood there for a second stunned. Then, before he could convince himself out of it, he too fell into the hug, laughing as they all accepted him in and squeezed him so tightly, he wondered how he still had any air left in his body. A few moments later, the announcement that their plane had arrived sounded over their heads and they all had to grudgingly let go so they could board the plane. Victor instantly found his way to Yuuri's side, taking his hand and lifting it so he could plant a kiss right over the spot where his ring laid.

"So," He asked, letting their hands swing leisurely between them, rings glinting in the airport lights like stars as they headed over to the gate. "How does it feel to be engaged, my dearest love?"

Yuuri could only grin as Victor kissed him once again affectionately on the forehead. As he led him over to the line where his new, soon to be official family waved them over, he felt so happy, he wondered how he hadn't burst yet from it all. He turned to Victor and gave him one soft peck on his cheek.

"It feels perfect Victor," He said. "It feels… complete."


End file.
